■H OAKLEY CLOeir^M.D. 




GopyrightN?. 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 



OUR BABY 



OUR BABY 

A CONCISE AND PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR THE 

USE OF MOTHERS IN THE CARE AND 

FEEDING OF INFANTS AND 

YOUNG CHILDREN 



BY 

RALPH OAKLEY CLOCK, Ph.B., M.S., M.D. 

u 

Assistant Physician to the Out-Patient Department of The Babies' Hospital 

of the City of New York and St. Mary's Free Hospital for Children, 

New York City; Clinical Assistant Obstetrician to the New 

York Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital ; 

Lecturer on Child Hygiene to The Woman's 

Educational Club of Pelham, New York; 

Fellow of The New York Academy 

of Medicine; Member of the 

American Public Health 

Association; etc. 




ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR 



NEW YORK AND LONDON 
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 

MCMXII 






Copyright, 1912. by 
D, APPLETON AND COMPANY 



PiihlisJied June, 1912 



Printed in the United States of America 



©C!.A31662G 



TO 

, JIY SISTER 

LUCRETIA CLOCK FIELD 

As a Token of Love and in Grateful Appreciation 
Of Her Loving Care and Loyal Devotion 
During All the Years That 
Have Gone By 

THIS LITTLE VOLUME 
IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED 



PREFACE 

In preparing this little volume, the aim of 
the author has been to help the young mother 
to a thorough and intelligent understanding of 
the requirements of the baby's life. With the 
exception of simple home treatment for the 
more common disorders of infancy, suggestions 
relating to medical treatment have been pur- 
posely avoided: the needs of the well baby and 
not the sick one have been considered; for the 
well baby is usually left in the care of the 
mother, or the mother's helper, for whose guid- 
ance this book is intended. The average 
mother leads a busy life and, in preparing this 
book, the aim has been to arrange the subject 
matter chronologically so that the mother may, 
without studying the entire book, readily find 
the information on the subject in question. 
The numerous repetitions which occur in the 
text have been deemed advisable, both for em- 

vii 



viii PREFACE 

phasis and because of the arrangement of the 
subject matter. 

The acute infectious diseases (diphtheria, 
scarlet fever, chicken pox, measles, etc.) have 
not been mentioned because they are, without 
exception, conditions which should be treated by 
a physician. In case of sickness, no mother or 
nurse should depend upon any book in caring 
for a baby, but upon the advice of a physician, 
who should be one well trained and experienced 
in diseases peculiar to children. If a baby is 
sick, the physician ought to be summoned at 
once; and in no case should a mother attempt 
to prescribe for her child — disregard of this 
rule has caused thousands of lives to be lost. 
This book is not intended to supplant or to be a 
substitute for the physician ; therefore prescrip- 
tions have not been given. 

The care of premature infants has been in- 
tentionally omitted, because such infants should 
be constantly under the care and direct super- 
vision of a skillful physician who has made a 
special study of such cases. Also no mention 
has been made of the hygiene of the mother 



PREFACE ix 

*^ before the baby comes," since that is a sepa- 
rate subject; and, when injected into a book 
dealing with babies, it merely serves to swell 
the size of the volume. Weight charts have 
been omitted, because they are the cause of 
much worry on the part of the mother who is 
anxious to have her baby's chart make a good 
showing for her friends to admire ; and, if her 
baby is below the standard weight line, her wor- 
riment may cause the breast milk to fail. 

Illustrations have been inserted wherever it 
seemed advisable to emphasize the description 
in the text. Chapter XI on General Care is 
intended for a ready reference in caring for the 
baby at various ages. 

Ealph Oakley Clock. 
New York, 

January, 1912. 



PAGES 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER I 
HYGIENE 

Face — Eyes — Mouth — Teeth — Scalp — Hair — But- 
tocks — Genitals — Finger nails — Toe nails — Skin 
— Kissing — Pacifiers 1-6 

CHAPTER II 

BATHS 

Preparatory arrangements — Treatment preliminary 
to first bath — The first bath : How to give the 
first bath — Tub bath : How to give a tub bath, 
When not to give the bath — Local bathing — 
Bathing in hot weather — Kinds of baths : Cool, 
tepid, warm, hot, sponge bath, shower bath, cold 
pack, hot pack, vapor bath, bran bath, soda bath, 
starch bath, salt bath, mustard bath .... 7-20 

CHAPTER III 

CLOTHES 

The necessary requirements — Danger of neglecting 
essentials — Materials to be used — Individual ar- 
ticles of clothing: Abdominal bands, diapers, 
socks, the body clothing, shirt, petticoat, dress, 
the "Gertrude Suit" — Night clothes — Outdoor 
clothing — How to dress the baby — Short clothes 
— Clothing of early childhood : Night clothes, 

shoes 21-41 

xi 



xii CONTENTS 

CHAPTER IV 
NURSERY 

PAGES 

Location — Heating — Temperature: Effect of too 
high temperature — Lighting — Ventilation — 
Furnishing — Bed : Bed coverings — Cleaning — 
Screens 42-49 

CHAPTER V 

SLEEP 

Amount — Regularity and training — Disturbed 
sleep — Night terrors — Sleeping with mouth 
open — Sleeping with the mother — Sleeping out- 
doors 50-54 

CHAPTER VI 
FOOD 

Breast Feeding. — Breast milk: When not to use 
breast milk — Hygiene of nursing mother, in- 
cluding diet, exercise, fresh air, worry, care of 
the breasts and nipples — Regularity in nursing 
— Water — When to nurse — How to nurse — 
Signs of successful nursing — Signs of unsuc- 
cessful nursing — When to wean — How to wean 
Care of breasts during weaning 55-68 

Bottle Feeding. — Kind of food — Regularity in 
feeding — Quantity of food — When to feed — 
Preparation of food — How to give a bottle feed- 
ing — Water — Signs of successful feeding — Signs 
of unsuccessful feeding — Care of nursing bot- 
tles — Care of rubber nipples — Sterilization of 
milk — Pasteurization — Condensed milk — Pro- 
prietary foods — Milk for traveling .... 68-83 

Diet after the First Year. — Diet list for healthy 
babies twelve to eighteen months old and 



CONTENTS xiii 

PAGES 

eighteen to twenty-four months old — Diet list 
for healthy children two to three years old and 

three to six years old 83-90 

Food Formulas. — ^Albumin water — Beef juice — 
Barley water — Broth — Gruels — Oatmeal water . 90-92 

CHAPTER VII 

WEIGHT 

Birth weight — Loss — Gain — Failure to Gain — 
When to weigh — How to weigh — ^Average 
weights for various ages 93-95 



CHAPTER VIII 

OUTINGS 

Importance of fresh air — When to take the baby 
out — Where to take the baby — Airing indoors — 
Outdoor clothing — Country in summer . , . 96-99 



CHAPTER IX 

EXERCISE 

Effect of exercise on health — How the baby gets 
exercise 100-101 



CHAPTER X 

TRAINING AND HABITS 

Food and sleep — Pacifiers — Bowel function — Play- 
things — Talking — Truthfulness — Moral training 
— Obedience — Selfishness — Noise — Fear — So- 
ciety — School life — Books — Gynmasiura . . 102-112 



xiv CONTENTS 



CHAPTER XI 

GENERAL CARE, GROWTH AND 
DEVELOPMENT 

PAGES 

First Day of Life. — Immediate care of newborn 
baby — Nursing — Water — Bowels — Sleep — Paci- 
fiers — General care 113-116 

First Week. — The eiy — Care of eyes — The navel — 
Bath — Weight — Bowels — Urine — Nursing — Bot- 
tle feedings — Care of nursing bottles — Care of 
rubber nipples — Sleep — Waking for food — Ven- 
tilation of nursery — First outing — How to lift 
the baby — General care — Indications that the 
baby is thriving — Indications of poor nutri- 
tion—Clothing 116-125 

Disorders of the Early Weeks. — Indigestion — 
Colic : How to give a rectal irrigation — Vomit- 
ing — Regurgitation — Diarrhea — Constipation — 
— Rapid nursing — Feeble nursing — Difficult 
nursing — Conditions affecting nutrition — 
Thrush — Skin eruptions — Tight foreskin — En- 
larged breasts — Milk-crust 125-138 

One Month. — Bath — Clothing — Training — Hear- 
ing 138-139 

Six Weeks. — Bowels — Smiling — Sight — Change in 
eyes 139-140 

Two Months. — Effect of menstruation on moth- 
er's milk — Weight — Perspiration 140-141 

Three Months. — Nursing — Scurvy — Character of 
the cry — Tears — Drooling — Hearing — Clothing 
— Exercise 141-145 

Four Months. — Head held erect 145 

Five Months. — Bath — Feeding — Weight — Recog- 
nition of faces — Toys 145-146 

SixMoNTHS. — Food — Playing — Sleep — Drooling — 
First teeth — Delayed teething — Special care 
while teething — Illness due to teething — Weight 
—Speech 146-149 



CONTENTS XV 

PAGES 

Seven Months. — Food — Attempts at sitting — At- 
tempts at creeping- — Standing — Sight and Hear- 
ing 149-150 

Eight Months. — Sitting alone — Hair — Speech — 
Food — Weaning 150-151 

Nine Months. — Teeth — Creeping — Clothing — ^At- 
tempts at standing — Talking — Drinking . . . 151-153 

Ten Months. — Weaning from the bottle — First At- 
tempt to Walk— Falls 153-154 

Eleven Months. — Standing — walking .... 154 

One Year. — Food — ^'Second Summer" — Weight — 
Teeth — Talking* — Walking — Shoes — Clothing — 
Sleep— Growth . . _ . 154-157 

Fifteen Months. — Walking: Delayed walking — 
Food 157-158 

Eighteen Months. — Teeth — Fontanelle — Food — 
Bath— Sleep— Clothing 158-159 

Two Years. — Teeth: Care of teeth — Talking: De- 
lay in talking^ — Hair — Bath — Clothing — Exer- 
cise—Weight—Growth—Food 160-162 

Three to Six Years. — Bath — Clothing — Sleep — 
Training and habits — Exercise and amusements 
—Growth— Food 162-164 



CHAPTER XII 

SIGNS OF ILLNESS 

Appetite— Breathing — Color of skin — Cough — 
Cry — Digestion — Eruptions — Face — Gestures — 
Mouth — Nose — Sleep — Stools — Swallowing — 
Teeth— Urine— Walking— Weight .... 165-168 



CHAPTER XIII 

EMERGENCIES 

Immediate care of sick baby — Bruises — Burns — 
Chills — Colic — Constipation — Convulsions — Con- 



xvi CONTENTS 



PAGES 



tagious diseases — Croup — Cuts — Diarrhea — Ear- 
ache — Fever — Foreign body in ear — Foreign 
body in eye — Foreign body in nose and throat — 
Fractures — Nose bleeding — Sprains — Stings — 
Vomiting' — How to take the temperature . . 169-178 

CHAPTER XIV 
NURSEMAID 

Influence — Age — Health — Face — Disposition — In- 
telligence — Cleanliness 179-180 



LIST OP ILLUSTRATIONS 

Fig. page 

1. — Knit abdominal band 27 

2.— Shirt 29 

3. — Long flannel petticoat: Princess style .... 30 

4.— Dress 31 

5. — Nightgown 32 

6. — Diaper drawers 36 

7. — Creeping apron 37 

8. — Ideal waist 38 

9. — Short flannel skirt 39 

10.— Short white skirt 39 

11. — Boy^s dress 40 

12.— GirFs dress 41 

13. — Draftless window ventilator 45 

14. — Crib with drop sides 46 

15. — Crib lined with quilted shields 46 

16. — Pattern for breast binder 66 

17. — Breast binder pattern: folded 66 

18. — Breast binder 67 

19.— Nursing bottle .77 

20. — Rubber nipple: correct shape 77 

21. — Rubber nipples : incorrect shapes 78 



xvii 



OUR BABY 

CHAPTEE I 

HYGIENE 

The simplest and most convenient kind of 
baby basket is one of the hamper forms, the 
lower part containing the baby's clothes, with a 
tray above to hold the toilet articles. 

Face. — Before the baby is bathed — as de- 
scribed in the next chapter — its face should be 
washed with warm water, using a wash cloth but 
no soap, and carefully dried. 

Eyes. — Then the eyes should be cleansed with 

a piece of absorbent cotton wet with a solution 

of boric acid (one teaspoonful of powdered 

boric acid to a cupful of warm water). With 

the baby lying on its back, turn its head toward 

the left ; hold the cotton close to the inner corner 

of the left eye and allow the solution to trickle 

into the eye ; then gently wipe, but do not rub, 

1 



2 OUR BABY 

the eye with the cotton, using a fresh piece of 
cotton for each eye; in cleansing the right eye, 
turn the head toward the right side. 

Mouth. — The mouth must also be washed 
with a piece of absorbent cotton, wrapped 
around the little finger of the mother or nurse, 
and wet with boric acid solution (one teaspoon- 
ful of powdered boric acid to a cupful of warm 
water) ; the finger is inserted into the baby's 
mouth, and the entire inside, including the 
tongue, cheeks and roof of the mouth, is gently 
wiped out. This ought to be done before each 
feeding, using a fresh piece of cotton each time ; 
after the secretion of saliva is well established 
— usually about the third month — it is not nec- 
essary to cleanse the mouth so frequently, two 
or three times daily being sufficient. 

Teeth. — If the first or milk teeth are allowed 
to decay, toothache will result, as well as indi- 
gestion from insufficient mastication, and even 
irregularity in the position of the permanent 
teeth. When the majority of the milk teeth 
have been cut, they must be kept clean by means 
of a soft-bristled tooth brush and a good tooth 



HYGIENE 3 

powder or paste; the child should be taught 
early to use the tooth brush twice daily. The 
formation of tartar on the teeth causes inflam- 
mation and receding of the gums and requires 
diligent watchfulness to prevent it. At the age 
of two years, every child should have its teeth 
examined by a competent dentist and thereafter 
regularly every six months, in order to prevent 
the decay of the milk teeth and interference with 
the cutting of the permanent set. 

Scalp. — During the first few months of life, 
the scalp should be washed daily with warm 
water and pure castile soap applied by means of 
a wash cloth; after the age of six months, it is 
not advisable to use soap so frequently, but the 
daily washing with warm water must be con- 
tinued. Occasionally, a little vaseline may be 
rubbed into the scalp with much benefit. After 
the baby is two years old, soap should be used 
but once a week on the scalp. 

The soap may be removed with a fine, soft 
sponge dipped in warm water; and the sponge 
and wash cloth must be well washed out and 
thoroughly dried in the air after using. 



4 OUR BABY 

Hair. — The hair, after being washed, ought 
to be brushed because frequent brushing im- 
proves the scalp; at first, the brush should be 
made of camePs hair, but as the baby's hair 
grows coarser and greater in quantity, the bris- 
tles of the brush may be more stiff. During 
infancy, combs must not be used as they are 
liable to injure the delicate scalp. The hair 
should be kept cut short, in order to give the 
child the greatest possible comfort, and to keep 
the scalp in a healthy condition. 

Buttocks. — After each bowel movement the 
thighs and buttocks should be washed with 
warm water, but no soap, and then carefully 
dried ; if the bowel movements are frequent and 
watery, the buttocks may be bathed with olive 
oil or with equal parts of olive oil and lime 
water. 

Genitals. — In boys, the foreskin must be re- 
tracted daily and the parts carefully washed. 
The female genitals ought to be carefully 
cleansed daily with absorbent cotton and boric 
acid solution (one teaspoonful of powdered 
boric acid to a cupful of warm water) ; if there 



HYGIENE 5 

is any discharge present, a physician should be 
consulted. 

Finger Nails. — The finger nails should be 
trimmed, with scissors, level with the finger tips ; 
all hangnails must be cut off close to the skin 
and the nails cleansed with a soft nail brush. 

Toe Nails. — The toe nails should be cut 
straight across ; for, if the corners are rounded, 
ingrowing toe nails will result. 

Skin. — The skin must be kept dry with a 
good talcum powder, which should be especially 
used in the folds of the skin of the groins and 
buttocks. 

Kissing. — Promiscuous kissing of the baby 
on the mouth is dangerous and the mother 
should prohibit it, for the infant is susceptible 
to all kinds of germs. A person in apparent 
good health, by kissing a baby on the mouth, 
may carry to it germs which will produce dis- 
ease. If the baby must be kissed, let it be on 
the forehead. 

Pacifiers. — The use of ** pacifiers" cannot be 
too vigorously condemned. They endanger the 
health in two ways: first, the constant suck- 



6 OUR BABY 

ing on one of these pacifiers aids in the for- 
mation of adenoid growths; second, they are 
carriers of numerous disease germs, for they 
frequently fall out of the baby's mouth on to the 
floor or sidewalk and, after being carelessly 
wiped off, are thrust into the baby's mouth 
again. 



CHAPTER II 

BATHS 

Preparatory Arrangements. — The bath should 
be given rapidly, thoroughly, and with as little 
disturbance as possible to the baby; hence, this 
necessitates the preparation of all materials 
beforehand. The room in which the bath is to 
be given must be warm, the temperature being 
at least 70° Fahrenheit; and doors and win- 
dows should be closed to guard against drafts 
during the process of bathing. 

Treatment Preliminary to First Bath. — The 
skin of the newborn baby is covered with a 
white pasty substance which must be removed 
before the baby is bathed ; and, for this purpose, 
prior to the first bath, pure white vaseline or 
albolene should be thoroughly rubbed over the 
entire skin surface. Then, with a piece of 
flannel, or a soft towel, the skin is gently wiped 
dry — care being taken to remove all the grease 

7 



8 OUR BABY 

and pasty substance from the ears, armpits, 
groins and buttocks. This preliminary anoint- 
ment of the skin is given by the nurse soon after 
birth, and is not required after the first day. 
A dry, sterile gauze dressing is now applied to 
the cord stump and a flannel binder (see pages 
24-25) put on. The practice of applying to the 
cord stump various powders — such as starch, 
boric acid, talcum, etc., — only does harm; for 
these powders tend to preserve the cord and 
make it fall off late. 

The baby's face may now be washed with 
warm water and a wash cloth and then care- 
fully dried; after which the baby should be 
wrapped in a warmed blanket and placed on its 
right side in a crib or bed, in a darkened, quiet 
room, and allowed to sleep for five or six hours. 

The First Bath. — The water for the bath 
should be at a temperature of 100'^ Fahrenheit, 
as indicated by a bath thermometer — the tem- 
perature should not be guessed at or tested by 
hand. Water used upon the body must never 
be used upon the face or head ; so that it is best 
to use two vessels — a basin for the face water 



BATHS 9 

and one for the body water: one basin may be 
made to serve the purpose if, after the face 
and head are washed, the water is changed be- 
fore bathing the body. A tub bath is not given 
until the navel is completely healed; and, in 
giving the first bath and all other baths before 
the navel is healed, the abdominal binder must 
not be removed or allowed to become wet. 

How to Give the First Bath. — The nurse, 
seated in a low chair, protects her lap with a 
long flannel apron, beneath which is a rubber 
apron; and the baby, after being undressed — 
but with the abdominal binder still in position 
— is wrapped in a warmed blanket and held on 
the nurse's lap. 

The face and head are to be washed with 
warm water and a wash cloth, but without soap, 
and carefully dried. 

The eyes should be cleansed with a small 
piece of absorbent cotton thoroughly wet with a 
boric acid solution (one teaspoonful of pow- 
dered boric acid to a cupful of warm water). 
With the baby lying on its back, turn its head 
toward the left; hold the cotton close to the 



10 OUR BABY 

inner corner of the left eye and allow the solu- 
tion to trickle into the eye; then gently wipe, 
but do not rub, the eye with the cotton, using a 
fresh piece of cotton for each eye ; while cleans- 
ing the right eye, the head should be turned 
toward the right side. It should be remem- 
bered that infection of the eyes is a very serious 
matter, and great care should be taken to have 
a silver solution placed in the baby's eyes soon 
after birth to prevent possible infection; this 
duty should only be intrusted to a physician. 

The mouth should be cleansed by means of 
absorbent cotton wrapped about the little finger 
of the nurse and wet with boric acid solution ; 
the finger is inserted into the baby's mouth and 
the entire inside, including the tongue, cheeks 
and roof of the mouth, is gently wiped out. 

The nostrils may be cleansed by using a swab 
dipped in a boric acid solution ; this swab being 
made by wrapping absorbent cotton around a 
wooden toothpick. A better and more satis- 
factory method is to place a few drops of liquid 
albolene into each nostril by means of a medi- 
cine dropper ; the baby being held on its back in 



BATHS 11 

the nurse *s lap, with its head between the 
nurse's knees. After the treatment, the baby 
will sneeze and the mucus, having been loosened 
by the albolene, will be thus expelled. 

The ears should be carefully cleaned with a 
soft wash cloth. 

The body is now bathed with castile soap and 
water, applied with a wash cloth, except that 
portion covered by the abdominal binder. Care 
must be taken to prevent the water from run- 
ning beneath the binder and wetting the cord 
dressing ; if the binder should become wet, a dry 
one may be substituted, but the cord dressing 
must not be disturbed without the physician ^s 
orders. The soap should be removed by using 
a sponge and warm water, after which the skin 
is patted thoroughly dry with a very soft towel. 
A little talcum powder may be dusted on the 
skin, especially in the folds of the buttocks, 
groins and genitals, and the baby is then ready 
to be dressed; its clothes having been pre- 
viously warmed. 

If the baby is a girl, the genitals must be 
carefully cleansed with boric acid solution and 



12 OUR BABY 

absorbent cotton each day : if a boy, the foreskin 
should be retracted daily and the parts bathed 
and freed from all secretions; and, if the fore- 
skin cannot be retracted, the physician should 
be informed of the fact, as circumcision may be 
necessary. 

Tub Bath. — A tub bath must not be given 
until the cord has fallen off and the navel has 
completely healed, which usually occurs in five 
to ten days after birth. The full tub bath 
should be given at the same hour each day, 
preferably in the morning, so that the baby can 
have its outing in the middle of the day; but, 
after the baby is eighteen months old, it is 
advisable to give the bath in the late afternoon, 
just before supper. 

The temperature of the water should be 100° 
Fahrenheit until the age of four or ^ve months, 
when it may be gradually lowered to 90°-95° 
Fahrenheit for winter, and 85*^-90° Fahrenheit 
for summer. Cool tub baths, that is 70°-80° 
Fahrenheit, should not be given before the age 
of three or four years, although a cool sponge 
bath may follow the daily tubbing at the age 



BATHS 13 

of eighteen montlis — if it is followed by a 
healthy reaction, as indicated by a warmth and 
glow of the skin. 

The tub should contain enough water to cover 
the baby's whole body up to the neck when sup- 
ported in a half-reclining position; but when 
the baby is old enough to sit up, the level of the 
water need not reach beyond the armpits. 

Ordinarily, only one bath should be given 
daily; but, in very hot weather, when the baby 
is suffering from the heat, a morning and even- 
ing bath with the water at a temperature of 90° 
Fahrenheit may be beneficial. 

The tub may be an oblong tin one painted 
white inside, and after use should be well 
cleaned and aired. 

How to Give a Tub Bath, — Before being 
placed in the tub, the baby's face and head 
should be washed and dried, as previously de- 
scribed (see pages 1 and 3) ; but water used on 
the body must not be used on the face, since 
troublesome infection of the eyes may result. 
The whole body, except the face and head, should 
be rubbed with soap applied with a wet wash 



14 OUR BABY 

cloth ; the baby is then placed in the tub and the 
entire body, excepting the head, submerged. 
The mother or nurse grasps the neck and 
shoulders with the left hand, while the forearm 
supports the baby's head and prevents it from 
coming in contact with the tub, in case the baby 
should struggle during the bath; and also pre- 
vents the baby's head from slipping down into 
the water. The right hand is used to grasp 
the legs about the knees while placing the baby 
in the tub, and then is used to hold the wash 
cloth or sponge during the process of bathing. 
At first the baby should not be kept in the bath 
over one or two minutes but, after the fourth 
month, the time may be lengthened to three or 
five minutes. While the baby is in the tub, the 
soap should be entirely rinsed off, using a 
sponge, which is better than a wash cloth for 
this purpose; and, after each bath, the sponge 
and wash cloth should be well washed out and 
thoroughly dried in the air. 

When the bath is completed, the baby is lifted 
out of the tub to the lap of the mother or nurse 
and covered up with a soft towel, or with the 



BATHS 15 

f3annel bath apron of the mother or nurse. The 
baby is placed first on its back and then on its 
abdomen, while its skin is patted thoroughly- 
dry with a soft towel folded over the palm of 
the hand; after the drying, it is advisable to 
rub the baby's skin briskly with the palm of the 
hand until the skin is slightly red, in order to 
stimulate the circulation of the blood. A little 
talcum powder is applied to the skin around the 
neck, in the armpits, groins, folds of the but- 
tocks, behind the knees, etc., and the baby is now 
ready to be dressed. 

When not to Give the Bath, — 

1. A full tub bath should not be given before 
the navel has completely healed, otherwise 
the wound may become infected. 

2. The baby should not be bathed sooner than 
one hour after taking food — a full hour 
should also elapse between the bath and 
the outing. 

3. If the baby has a cough, it should not be 
given a tub bath without first consulting a 
physician. 

4. The bath should not be given if it produces 



16 OUR BABY 

a bluisli color of the skin, or if the babv's 
hands and feet become cold. 
5. If the skin is tender and ready to chafe, 
soapy water should not be used but a bran 
bath given instead ; if the chafing is severe, 
all bathing should be discontinued and a 
physician consulted. If the baby has 
eczema, or other skin disease, the affected 
part should not be bathed unless the physi- 
cian so orders. 
Local Bathing.^ It is important to bathe the 
thighs and buttocks after each bowel move- 
ment; soap should not be employed for this 
purpose-^warm water being sufficient; and the 
skin should be carefully dried and powdered 
before applying a clean diaper. The foreskin 
of boy babies should be retracted daily and the 
parts thort)ughly bathed. The female genitals 
must be carefully bathed each day by using 
absorbent cotton wet with boric acid solution. 

Bathing in Hot Weather.— During very hot 
weather, one or two daily sponge baths with 
water at 90° Fahrenheit will give the baby 
^much relief. Infants suffer severely from ex- 



BATHS 17 

treme heat and endure it with difficulty, and a 
sponge bath will give the baby a refreshing 
sleep. 
Kinds of Baths. — 

Cool: 70°- 80° Fahrenheit. 

Tepid: 80°- 90° Fahrenheit. 

Warm: 90°-100° Fahrenheit. 

Hot: 100°-110° Fahrenheit. 
Sponge Bath, — This is the simple, general 
bathing of the body with a sponge. Follow in 
this order: face, head, hands, arms, neck, 
chest, back, abdomen and legs. Warm spong- 
ing allays restlessness; cool sponging is used 
for reducing fevers, sometimes with the addi- 
tion of alcohol. 

Shower Bath. — This may be used after three 
years of age, and is given after the cleansing 
bath as a muscular stimulant. The child 
stands in warm water up to the ankles and, 
when the shower is turned on, the child's head 
should be protected with a rubber bath cap ; the 
shower is to be followed by vigorous friction 
with a rough towel. 

Cold Pack, — The cold pack is useful to pro- 



18 OUR BABY 

mote sleep in nervous children of two or three 
years of age. A rubber sheet is placed over 
the bed and a cotton or linen sheet, wrung out 
of cold water (temperature 70° Fahrenheit), is 
laid upon it ; the child is placed on the wet sheet 
and completely wrapped up in it, except the 
head, and then a blanket is wrapped about the 
sheet. The child may be left in the pack for an 
hour if it goes to sleep, otherwise it should be 
taken out after fifteen minutes and wrapped in 
a dry blanket. 

Hot Pach. — This may be used after the eight- 
eenth month, but only on the advice of a physi- 
cian; the child is wrapped in a blanket wrung 
out of hot water (temperature 100°-110° Fah- 
renheit) and covered with soft, dry blankets. 
The hot pack is useful in convulsions and in 
nervous conditions. 

Vapor Bath. — This is used to promote free 
perspiration. By means of half barrel hoops 
placed crosswise in the bed, a canopy is formed, 
over which blankets are stretched from the foot 
of the bed to the child's neck and thoroughly 
wrapped around the child's shoulders. A 



BATHS 19 

stream of vapor, formed from a steaming ket- 
tle, is then passed under the blankets by means 
of tubing or a tin pipe. The child's forehead 
should be covered with gauze, or a soft handker- 
chief, wrung out of cold water (temperature 
70° Fahrenheit). 

Bran Bath, — One pound of bran, placed in a 
thin muslin bag, is immersed in warm water 
until thoroughly soaked ; after which the bag is 
squeezed several times until the water in the 
bath is milky. The temperature of the water 
should be the same as that used in the ordinary 
bath, and the length of the bath is from tAvo to 
four minutes. No friction of the skin is neces- 
sary and, after the bath, the baby is dried with 
soft towels. A bran bath is particularly useful 
in prickly heat. 

Soda Bath, — One tablespoonful of bicarbon- 
ate of soda (baking soda) is dissolved in four 
gallons of warm water ; this bath is given in the 
same manner and for the same purposes as the 
bran bath. 

Starch Bath, — One-half cupful of powdered 
laundry starch is mixed with warm water in the 



20 OUR BABY 

tub; this bath is given in the same manner as 
the bran bath and is serviceable in hives, prickly 
heat, etc. 

Salt Bath. — One tablespoonful of common 
table salt is dissolved in each gallon of water, 
and the baby should be kept in the bath five 
to ten minutes, constant friction being applied ; 
this bath is useful in poorly nourished children 
for its tonic effect. 

Mustard Bath. — One tablespoonful of ordi- 
nary powdered mustard is dissolved in a cupful 
of cold water : this is then added to four gallons 
of water at a temperature of 100°-110° Fahren- 
heit. The baby is kept in this bath for ^ye to 
ten minutes, during which time constant fric- 
tion should be applied to the entire skin surface. 
This bath ought to be given, if possible, in front 
of an open fire, a kitchen stove, or steam radi- 
ator; and is chiefly useful in convulsions. After 
the bath, the baby should be wrapped in warm 
blankets; a hot water bag placed to its feet; 
and an hour allowed to elapse before dressing 
the baby. 



CHAPTER III 

CLOTHES 

The Necessary Requirements. — The most im- 
portant qualities of a baby's clothing are loose- 
ness, softness, warmth and simplicity. The 
chest and abdomen should be warmly clad 
without any restriction of motion; hence, all 
weight of the clothes should be suspended from 
the shoulders. The legs ought to have free 
motion, therefore the skirts should not be too 
long or bulky; and the foot covering must be 
warm. The clothes ought to be soft, both in 
surface and texture, so as to avoid irritation of 
the skin and to give proper ventilation and to 
favor perspiration; hence, the material should 
be porous and not too heavy. It is also de- 
sirable that the clothing be simple in its makeup, 
so that it may be quickly changed with the least 
possible handling of the baby. Finally, and 
most important, the baby's clothing must be 

21 



22 OUR BABY 

warm, for babies have little power to resist the 
depressing influences of continued cold. In 
warm weather, just as much care must be taken 
to procure cool clothing for the baby; by this 
is meant that the clothing must be thin and light 
in weight; and that the baby must not be '* bun- 
dled up'' with heavy clothing, because babies 
endure hot weather with difficulty. 

Danger of Neglecting Essentials. — The sur- 
face area of the baby's body is much greater for 
its weight than that of the adult and is, there- 
fore, more susceptible to rapid chilling; and 
many serious and troublesome illnesses may 
follow if the baby is not warmly clothed. If 
the abdomen is compressed by an abdominal 
band that is tight, respiration is interfered 
with ; but more especially indigestion, vomiting, 
rupture, or even prolapse of the rectum may be 
caused by a tight binder. An abdominal band 
which is too tight prevents the abdominal walls 
from expanding when the intestines are filled 
with gas, and compresses and displaces the 
stomach so that its capacity is decreased ; many 
cases of colic and vomiting are due solely to 



CLOTHES 23 

this cause. Many mothers have been told by 
their friends that the band should be tight on 
boy babies to prevent rupture; but this advice 
is wrong — for, instead of being a safeguard 
against this condition, a tight band tends to pro- 
duce rupture. Having the weight of the 
clothes suspended from the shoulders is one 
way of avoiding restriction of the waist. 

By adopting simplicity of clothes, the infant 
is saved much fatigue and is not irritated by 
the act of dressing and undressing. 

Materials to be Used. — Clothes which are 
loose and made of loose texture are warmer 
than others, because of the air they retain. 
Theoretically, there is no material which an- 
swers all the requirements as well as wool — it 
is soft, loose-textured, light and warm; but 
while wool clothes next the skin are, hygienic- 
ally, to be preferred, there are two serious 
objections to them: in the first place, wool has 
a great tendency to shrink and to become harsh 
in texture; secondly, all-wool clothing is very 
irritating to some babies' skins, especially in 
hot weather. The first objection may be par- 



24 OUR BABY 

tially overcome by using merino goods, made of 
cotton and wool ; but even these shrink badly if 
much wool is present. To avoid the irritation 
of all-wool clothes, it is best to use merino 
goods containing only a small portion of wool ; 
linen and silk, while not irritating, are apt to 
be chilling. But the most satisfactory are the 
machine-knitted goods, known in the shops as 
the ^^ Arnold Knit Goods,'' made entirely of cot- 
ton, or cotton and wool, cotton and worsted, 
silk and wool, or silk and worsted, of different 
thicknesses for summer and winter. This 
*^ stockinet" fabric is at once soft, porous, ab- 
sorbent, elastic and non-irritating and affords 
great comfort to the baby. 

Individual Articles of Clothing. — Every baby 
requires abdominal bands or binders, diapers, 
and knitted socks ; the rest of the clothes consist 
of shirts, petticoats and dresses, varying in 
pattern with individual taste. 

The abdominal hand, during the early days 
of life before the navel has completely healed, 
consists of fine, soft flannel about five inches 
wide and long enough to extend a little more 



CLOTHES 25 

than once around the body — that is, about 
twenty inches long; the flannel should be cut 
on the bias, in order to increase its elasticity, 
and should be unhemmed. The band may be 
held in place by two small safety pins, but is 
better basted on — as even safety pins may be- 
come unfastened and cause much discomfort to 
the baby by pricking. The very common belief 
that the sole purpose of this band is to prevent 
rupture is entirely erroneous ; for the band may 
become displaced, compressing a portion of the 
abdomen and exposing the navel which is then 
required to bear a sudden increased pressure, 
and rupture may result. The only object of 
this band is to hold the cord dressing in place 
and to protect the navel until it is completely 
healed. After the cord falls otf , the umbilical 
ring — or opening in the abdominal wall — ^leaves 
a granulating surface which soon forms scar 
tissue; and, as this scar tissue contracts, it 
causes the ring to sink into the abdominal wall 
in the form of a puckered scar, called the navel. 
When the navel has completely healed, the flan- 
nel hand has served its purpose and may he dis- 



26 OUR BABY 

carded. Even if the baby has a large navel and 
weak umbilical ring, a flannel binder ivill not 
prevent a possible rupture; for pressure must 
be maintained directly over the ring, and this 
can only be accomplished by a proper dressing 
of adhesive plaster which should be applied by 
the physician. 

After the cord has separated and the navel 
has completely healed, a different form of band 
is required, the object of which is to protect the 
abdomen from chilling. This band is made of 
machine-knitted goods (stockinet) in various 
sizes, according to the age, and can be pur- 
chased in the shops under the name of the ** Ar- 
nold" Knit Abdominal Band. It is circular and 
seamless, and should be long enough to cover 
the entire abdomen and greater part of the 
chest. It is made with open shoulder straps 
buttoning on the shoulders — so that all bending 
and twisting of the baby's arms will be avoided 
when dressing the baby — and the lower edge of 
the band has a tab in front and in back to which 
the diaper may be pinned (Fig. 1). In select- 
ing this band, one of sufficient size should be 



CLOTHES 



27 




chosen so that it will fit the baby loosely. 
The knit abdominal band should be worn up 
to at least two years of age. 
Diapers should be made of 
soft, light, absorbent material, 
either linen or cotton. Each 
of these has its advantages; 
linen is cooler and less bulky, 
while cotton is more absorbent. 
An excellent knitted diaper can 
be purchased in the shops made 

Fig. 1. — Knit Ab- 

of cotton stockmet; it is very dominal band. 
soft and absorbent and is also shaped to fit the 
waist and the hips, making it more comfortable 
for the baby than the ordinary form of diaper. 
For the early months, the diaper should be one 
yard long and half a yard wide; the size will 
usually have to be increased at the age of three 
months and again at about nine months. The 
diaper is folded into a square and then into a 
triangle, making four thicknesses in all. A 
rubber or water-proof cover ('^ Stork Pants'^) 
should never be applied outside of the diaper; 
for it is very heating and is apt tQ cause chafing. 



28 OUR BABY 

Diapers must be changed as soon as soiled 
and ought never to be put on again until they 
are washed. They should be rough washed as 
soon as they are changed, and then may be kept 
in a covered receptacle and boiled before the 
end of twenty-four hours. Only pure soap, and 
never any soda or bluing, should be used in 
washing the diapers; a chafed, irritated skin 
will result if soda or bluing is used. The soiled 
diapers should be boiled for about fifteen min- 
utes, then rinsed several times in fresh water to 
free them from all soap, and aired for a day 
before using them again — ironing being unnec- 
essary. 

Knitted socks are made of silk thread or 
worsted yarn and should reach fully half way 
to the knee. 

The Body Clothing, — The remaining three 
pieces of clothing are made in two styles, 
and the one in most common use and which 
can be highly recommended, will be described 
first: 

The body clothing consists of a shirt, petti- 
coat or skirt, and dress. The shirt is made of 



CLOTHES 



29 



merino or cotton stockinet, preferably the lat- 
ter, in three weights — thinner in summer than 
in winter, and for the hottest months gauze 
weights should be used. It should always be 
long enough to reach below the hips, with long 
sleeves to the wrists, and high neck; it opens 
the full length in front, being fastened by but- 
tons, with a tape or rib- 
bon at the neck (Fig. 
2). For the first three 
months, it should have a 
chest measure of about 
fifteen inches so that it 
will fit loosely and not 
compress the chest. The 
shirt is put on over the 
abdominal band already described. (See pages 
24 to 26.) 

The petticoat or sMrt is made of white baby 
flannel, cut Princess style, reaching from the 
neck to ten inches below the feet (twenty-five 
inches long). It is made with armholes, but 
without sleeves, and is open at the shoulders, 
fastening with buttons to admit of dressing the 




Fig. 2. — Shirt. 



30 



OUR BABY 



baby without twisting its arms (Fig. 3). The 
old-fashioned ^'pinning blanket" or ^^ barrow 
coat, ^ ' sometimes used in place of the petticoat, 
is mentioned only to be condemned. 

The dress, or 
^*slip'' is made of 
cambric or nainsook 
in any style to suit 
the mother ^s taste; 
it should fit loosely 
and is made to fas- 
ten in the back with 
buttons, and with 
sleeves reaching to 
the wrists (Fig. 4). 
It should equal, or 
slightly exceed, the 
length of the petticoat. 

The ^^ Gertrude Suit/^ — The other style of 
clothing is known as the ^'Gertrude Suit'' and 
consists of three garments, all of which are cut 
Princess style — that is, without a distinct 
waist-line. The inner one takes the place of 
the ordinary shirt ; it is made of merino or cot- 




FiG. 3. — Long Flannel Petti- 
coat; Princess Style. 



CLOTHES 



31 



ton stockinet, extending from the neck to ten 
inches below the feet — that is, about twenty- 
five inches long — and has 
sleeves to the wrists, all 
the seams being on the 
outside. The middle gar- 
ment — corresponding to 
the petticoat — is made of 
flannel, with armholes but 
without sleeves, and is 
half an inch wider and 
two inches longer than 
the inner garment. The 
outer garment, or dress, 
is of cambric or nain- 
sook with high neck and 
long sleeves, and is about one inch wider 
and one inch longer than the middle garment. 
All three garments are fastened in the back 
with two or three small buttons. 

The great advantage of this style is its loose- 
ness and the very great convenience in dressing. 
The three garments are put together — 
one inside the other, and sleeve within sleeve — 




Fig. 4. — ^Dbess. 



32 



OUR BABY 



before they are put on ; tlien all three are drawn 
on at one time as if they were one garment. 
The only disadvantage is that the inner gar- 
ment does not cling closely to the body and, 
hence, is more apt to allow air to reach and 
chill the skin. 

Night Clothes. — The night clothes should be 
a complete change from those worn in the day- 
time, and consist of the ab- 
dominal band, diaper, shirt 
and nightgown. The night- 
gown is longer than the day 
dress and should be very 
roomy to allow free movement 
of the legs. During the win- 
ter months, the gown should 
be made of flannel, or canton 
flannel, or cotton stockinet, 
and closed at the bottom with 
a draw string (Fig. 5) ; in the 
hot months it may be made of muslin and not 
closed at the bottom. 

Outdoor Clothing. — In the summer months, 
the only extra covering necessary for use out- 




FiG. 5. — Night- 
gown. 



CLOTHES 33 

doors is an unlined cap made of thin cambric, 
lawn, or handkerchief linen ; but on chilly days, 
a coat of thin cashmere may be worn. 

There is needed in the winter a long inter- 
lined cloak of woolen material, made with a 
cape but without sleeves ; also a knitted woolen 
hood, with a removable lining of quilted mater- 
ial, covering the ears; and warm knitted mit- 
tens. 

A veil should never be used for a baby, as it 
may seriously injure the eyes; if the weather 
is cold or windy, the face may be protected with 
the adjustable carriage top. 

How to Dress the Baby. — It should be the 
constant aim of the mother or nurse to plan the 
arrangement of the clothes in such a way that 
the process of dressing and undressing will dis- 
turb the baby as little as possible; and the 
clothing must be so arranged that it can be 
drawn over the baby's feet and not over its 
head. 

The nurse, or mother, being seated in a low 
chair, holds the baby on its back in her lap ; the 
diaper is folded in the center making a square, 



34 OUR BABY 

which is then folded along the diagonal into a 
triangle, making four thicknesses of material. 
The folded diaper is now placed under the 
baby^s buttocks in such a way that the longest 
side of the diaper will be on a level with the 
baby's waistline, and the short end of the di- 
aper will lie between the baby's legs; the long 
ends are then drawn together around the baby's 
abdomen and the short end is brought up be- 
tween the baby's legs and folded over the other 
two ends of the diaper ; the three ends are then 
fastened together, by means of a safety pin, to 
the abdominal band — the diaper covering one- 
third of the thighs. During the early days of 
life, before the navel is healed, the diaper ends 
are pinned to the flannel binder; after the cord 
has separated and the navel has completely 
healed, the knitted abdominal band (Fig. 1) is 
drawn on over the feet and the shoulder straps 
buttoned ; then the diaper is pinned to the tabs 
at the bottom of the abdominal band. 

After the diaper has been fastened, the 
knitted socks are put on and then the shirt. 
The petticoat and dress are adjusted to each 



CLOTHES 35 

other and then drawn on together over the feet ; 
only when the baby is old enough to sit alone 
may they be slipped on over the head. 

If the baby is to wear the ^^ Gertrude Suit," 
all three garments are drawn on at one time 
after having been first fitted together, sleeve 
within sleeve. 

When the baby begins to wear the knit ab- 
dominal band, all clothes worn during the 
day are removed at bedtime ; a fresh abdominal 
band and diaper are applied, and the night 
clothes put on. 

Short Clothes. — When the baby is about 
three months old, the clothes are ^'shortened," 
unless it is winter time, when the change is de- 
ferred for two months longer; the material of 
the garments is practically the same as already 
described for the long ones. The shortening 
may be done by cutting off the skirts of the long 
clothes and lengthening the sleeves, or new 
ones may be made or purchased. The skirt 
and dress should be of such a length as to ex- 
tend only to the bottom of the feet and not be- 
yond them. Short clothes make necessary a 



36 OUR BABY 

change in the covering of the feet and legs ; and 
white cotton or silk stockings, long enough to 
reach to the diaper to which they may be 
pinned, are now put on; the stockings should 
have a broad toe, so as not to compress the 
baby's feet. When the baby is old enough to 
run around, the stockings should be held in 
place by ^^ supporters," which are fastened to 
a separate waist (Fig. 8) to be described later. 
The baby continues to wear the abdominal 
band. 

When the baby begins to creep and walk, ^ ' di- 
aper drawers" (Fig. 6) may be substituted for 
the diaper, provided the baby has good control 
of the bowel function; these are 
triangular in shape, buttoned in 
front, and are supported by fas- 
tening to the waist above men- 
tioned. (Described on pages 38 

Fig. 6.— Diaper and 39.) 

With the short dresses the baby 
may wear moccasins of chamois or kid, but 
shoes are not needed until the baby begins to 
stand and walk. The first shoes should be of 




CLOTHES 



37 



i ( 



creeping 



soft kid with thin soles and without heels, and 
consist of rights and lefts. 

When the baby begins to creep, a 
apron'' (Fig. 7) is 
useful to protect the 
clothing and to keep 
off the drafts along 
the floor. These 
aprons should be 
wide and roomy with 
a bag-like skirt closed 
at the bottom. 

A short coat for Fig. 7.— Ceeeping Apron. 

use outdoors is needed after the baby begins to 
walk. Warm leggings made of jersey, which 
cover the entire lower part of the body up to the 
waist, are useful in cold weather. 

Clothing of Early Childhood. — The proper 
time for changing from baby clothes to those 
of childhood does not depend so much upon the 
age as upon the time when the baby can do 
without a diaper. Most babies, if they have 
been properly trained, should be able to have 
the change made by the age of eighteen months. 




38 



OUR BABY 



The style or number of garments is of little 
importance, although the abdominal band is 
worn until the age of two years. Only the face 
and hands are to be exposed to the air, except 
on very hot summer days. The^ undershirt 
should be long-sleeved and high-necked and 




Fig. 8. — Ideal Waist. 

made of merino — its thickness depending on 
the season. In winter, the drawers are made 
of closely fitting woolen goods; over these are 
worn short muslin drawers; in summer, only 
the short muslin drawers are needed. A 
loosely fitting, sleeveless waist, known as the 
** Ideal Waist" (Fig. 8), of warm material for 



CLOTHES 



39 




winter and of muslin for summer, may be con- 
veniently worn over the sMrt; safety pins are 
used to fasten the stock- 
ing supporters to tabs 
attached to the bottom 
of the waist; the draw- 
ers and a short flannel 
skirt (Fig. 9) are then 
buttoned to the band of Fig. 9.— Short Flannel 
the waist. The white 

skirt attached to a waist of its own (Fig. 10) is 
now adjusted: this arrangement of the skirt 
with its own waist obviates the poor appear- 
ance of the buttons 
showing through, and 
prevents annoyance due 
to the buttons catching 
in the folds of the dress 
or outer garment; in 
summer, the short flan- 
nel skirt may be left off. 
The dress may be of 
any material conforming to the season, and the 
style of the dress remains unchanged until the 




Fig. 10. — Short White 
Skirt. 



40 



OUR BABY 



age of about two years when the sex of the child 
may be indicated by the type of dress — ^boys 

wearing dresses, with 
plaits from the neck, held 
in by a belt (Fig. 11) ; 
while girls continue to wear 
the baby dress, gathered in 
a yoke (Fig. 12). White 
dresses are usually worn 
until the age of two or three 
years. 

Night Clothes, — When 
the child has ceased to wear 
baby clothes, the night 
clothing consists of shirt 

Fig. 11. — Boy's Dress. -, t t . 

and drawers made m one 
piece, with long sleeves and with or without 
feet. The material may be, in winter, merino 
or cotton stockinet; in summer, muslin or out- 
ing flannel. Nightgowns for girls and pajamas 
for boys should not be worn until later child- 
hood. 

Shoes. — The soles of the shoes should be 
gradually increased in thickness as the child 




CLOTHES 



41 



grows older, and when three or four years of 
age, *^ spring heels" may be worn. Eubber 




Fig. 12. — Girl's Dress. 

overshoes should always be worn when the 
ground is damp. High arctics are superior to 
rubber boots if the child is to play in the snow ; 
flannel-lined leather leggings are useful for 
children of three or four years of age. 



CHAPTER IV 

NURSERY 

Location. — The nursery should be a large, 
bright, well-ventilated room on one of the up- 
per floors of the house where it will be both 
dry and quiet; if a southern exposure is impos- 
sible, its windows should admit the morning 
sun. If possible, the nursery should adjoin the 
room of the mother so that she may give the 
baby the necessary care and, at the same 
time, the baby will be separated from her so 
that the mother's rest will not be disturbed; 
then too, this separation of baby and mother 
will aid materially in the training of the 
baby. 

If circumstances make it necessary for the 

baby to occupy the room with the mother, the 

baby should sleep alone in its crib and never 

in the same bed with the mother ; the danger of 

the baby being suffocated during sleep by the 

42 



NURSERY 43 

mother lying upon it, is sufficient reason for 
providing a crib. 

Heating. — The most practical method for 
heating is the hot-water radiator system, since 
an even temperature can be easily maintained; 
the steam radiator system is very effectual, but 
there is always difficulty in securing a uniform 
temperature with it. 

Much has been written about the value of the 
open fireplace : it is of assistance in the ventila- 
tion of the room, but it is inferior as a means of 
supplying heat ; for, not only does it waste fuel, 
but it heats unevenly — one part of the room be- 
ing very hot and the other very cold. The hot 
air furnace is productive of too dry an atmos- 
phere laden with dust and coal gas ; and the use 
of the gas stove and oil heater has no justifica- 
tion. 

Temperature. — During the day the tempera- 
ture of the nursery should be kept uniformly at 
68°-70° Fahrenheit, while at night 60°-65° 
Fahrenheit is sufficient; after the second or 
third month, a night temperature of 55° Fah- 
renheit is desijrable. Two thermometers, three 



44 OUR BABY 

feet from the floor, should be placed on opposite 
sides of the room. 

Effect of Too High Temperature. — If the 
room is kept at too high a temperature the baby 
becomes pale, perspires freely and takes cold 
easily; the appetite fails and frequent attacks 
of colic and indigestion occur; as a result, the 
weight either remains stationary, or the gain is 
less than it should be. 

Lighting. — Nothing equals the electric light 
for the nursery, since it is without danger to 
children and does not consume any air. Gas is 
also a good method of lighting, but it should be 
borne in mind that when several gas jets are 
burning, a large portion of the oxygen in the air 
is being consumed, so that the air soon becomes 
vitiated, unless there is good ventilation. A 
candle or ^^ night light'' should not be kept 
burning in the nursery all night; the baby 
should be trained to sleep in the dark. 

Ventilation. — Fresh air is just as essential as 
good food to the baby's growth and develop- 
ment; a constant supply of pure air, without 
drafts, may be provided by using a wooden win- 



NURSERY 



45 



dow ventilator — known as the Broadwater 
Draftless Window Ventilator — under the lower 
sash (Fig. 13). This ventilator is provided 
with a wire screen which prevents the entrance 




Fig. 13. — Draftless Window Ventilator: Outside View. 

of dirt into the room, and with a movable trap 
door which permits the supply of air to be reg- 
ulated by closing the trap partially or com- 
pletely ; this is superior to all methods of venti- 
lation. 

The nursery must be thoroughly aired twice 
each day, the baby being taken into another 
room in the meantime; if the baby shares the 
mother's room during the first two weeks of 
life, the baby may be removed to another room 
and the mother well covered with blankets dur- 
ing the airing process. 

Furnishing. — The windows of the nursery 



46 



OUR BABY 




Fig. 14. — Crib with Drop Sides. 



should be pro- 
vided with two 
shades — a light 
and a dark one 
— so that the 
early morning 
light, which is 
the cause of too 
early waking, 
may be ex- 
cluded; and so 
that the room may be darkened in the daytime 
while the baby is sleeping. By using rugs, the 
floor can be easily cleaned. The furniture is to 
be as plain as pos- 
sible, to permit its 
easy cleaning ; and 
upholstery should be 
avoided as much as 
possible. 

Bed. — The only 
proper bed, from the 
first day of life — 
unless the baby is ^»- '^'-^Z J-hXs'"" 




NURSERY 47 

premature or delicate — is the brass or white 
enameled iron crib or bedstead (Fig. 14), 
having sides which slide down on rods, and 
provided with a woven wire spring. The 
sides and ends of the crib may be lined with 
quilted shields, held in place by tapes or 
ribbons attached to the top rails of the crib, 
which will keep off all drafts from the baby 
(Fig. 15). 

The bassinet, or sleeping basket, is not nec- 
essary during the early months, as is so com- 
monly advised ; the baby can be made perfectly 
comfortable, given better protection and af- 
forded means for perfect freedom of leg motion 
in the crib. 

Bed Coverings, — The bed should be provided 
with a thin hair mattress, over which is laid a 
rubber sheet; then a quilted bed pad to insure 
warmth; and over this is placed a cotton or 
linen sheets. A pillow is unnecessary, and it is 
best to train the baby to sleep without one. The 
baby is covered with a cotton or linen sheet, 
as many soft blankets — light in weight, yet 
warm — as the weather demands, and with a 



48 OUR BABY 

light spread; in winter an eider-down quilt is 
serviceable. Every morning, while the win- 
dows are opened for airing the nursery, the bed 
covers should be taken oE and exposed to the 
air and sun for an hour or more. 

Cleaning. — The nursery must be kept scrupu- 
lously clean ; it ought to be dusted daily with a 
damp cloth, during the time of airing while the 
baby is in another room. Once a week the rugs 
should be taken up and the floor, furniture and 
wood work wiped with a damp cloth. Food, 
empty dishes, or nursing bottles must never be 
allowed to stand in the room ; soiled diapers, or 
vessels containing urine or bowel movements, 
should be immediately removed from the 
nursery. 

Screens. — In the summer, the windows of 
the nursery should always be carefully screened 
to prevent the entrance of flies and mosquitoes. 
Mosquitoes are the distributing agents of 
malaria, and their bites poison some babies. 
Flies carry all sorts of contagion on their 
feet — typhoid fever, diphtheria, tuberculosis 
and other germs — and, if they are in the 



NURSERY 49 

nursery, they will crawl on tlie baby^s food or 
the feeding nipple, leaving innumerable germs 
in their path, and the baby is thus exposed to 
contagion. 



CHAPTEE V 

SLEEP 

Amount. — The healthy newborn baby usu- 
ally sleeps most of the twenty-four hours, and 
the sleep is sound. During the third and 
fourth week, the sleep is less profound — the 
baby being more readily aroused — and the total 
number of sleeping hours is about twenty. As 
it grows older the baby sleeps less and less and, 
at six months, the time spent in sleep is about 
sixteen hours, consisting of a twelve-hour night 
rest from 6 p. m. to 6 a. m., interrupted only by 
the late evening feeding, and of a two-hour 
morning nap and a two-hour afternoon nap. 
The twelve-hour night rest should be continued 
until the child is six years old, the day naps 
being, of course, shortened. At the age of one 
year, a two-hour nap in the morning and a one- 
hour nap in the afternoon is sufficient; while 
from the eighteenth month to the end of the 

50 



SLEEP 51 

second year, the afternoon nap may be omitted. 
A morning nap of one and a half hours should 
be continued until the child is six years old. 
The child must always be allowed to awaken 
of its own accord in the morning after its night's 
sleep. 

Regularity and Training. — It is important; 
from the very first, to train a baby to sleep at 
regular, definite hours; otherwise, the mother's 
life will become a burden to her. During in- 
fancy, the baby should be wakened punctually 
on the feeding hours in the daytime, and thus be 
trained to sleep between feedings. It is unnec- 
essary to lift the baby from its bed at night 
except to nurse it, for the diaper can be 
changed, the feeding bottle given, and other 
needed attentions accomplished without lifting 
the baby. To walk the floor at night, or to be 
obliged to sit in the room, or to sing a baby to 
sleep is an uncalled-for martyrdom. Unless 
the baby is sick, it should be put in bed at night 
and trained to stay there until morning. 

Undue noise will keep a baby awake, but it is 
a great mistake to walk on tiptoe in the nursery, 



52 OUR BABY 

or to talk in whispers, when the baby is asleep ; 
every baby should be trained to sleep througl 
a moderate amount of noise, such as the sound 
of voices, music, etc. 

In the case of older children it is an excellent 
plan to have them go to their sleep in a happy 
mood : if the child has been unhappy, now is the 
time for cheer; if there has been punishment, 
now is the time for forgiveness ; if the child has 
been in fear, now is the time for a quiet story — 
in short, do not send the child to bed at night 
until everything has been done to make that 
sleep calm and restful. 

Disturbed Sleep. — Undue excitement or 
romping games should not be indulged in for at 
least one hour before bedtime, otherwise the 
child will sleep badly. Tossing in the sleep 
without awaking is due either to unsuitable 
food, indigestion, poor nutrition, previous ex- 
citement, or serious illness. 

Night Terrors. — These are usually caused by 
some disturbance of digestion in children hav- 
ing a highly irritable nervous system. The 
child awakens suddenly with violent screaming 



SLEEP 53 

and shows signs of terror and cannot be paci- 
fied. Such a child should be placed under a 
physician's care. 

Sleeping with Mouth Open. — This indicates 
some obstruction to the breathing and is most 
often due to an overgrowth of the third tonsil, 
called *^ adenoids/' situated back of the nose at 
the junction with the throat. When a baby 
sleeps with open mouth, a physician should al- 
ways be consulted, since the obstruction to the 
breathing lowers the vitality, predisposes to 
cold in the head, and may even lead to deafness. 

Sleeping with the Mother. — A baby should 
never sleep in the same bed with its mother; 
even in the poorest families, the baby ought to 
have some sort of a bed of its own. Not only 
is there a possible danger of the mother rolling 
over on her baby and suffocating it — a danger 
which is real and not imaginary — but there is 
the temptation on the part of the mother to 
nurse the baby too often ; moreover, the baby is 
liable to get the bedclothes over its head and 
become smothered ; and, in any event, the health 
of the baby is unfavorably influenced. 



54 OUR BABY 

Sleeping Outdoors. — Unless the weather is 
stormy, the baby, after it is two or three weeks 
old, will derive much benefit and health from 
sleeping outdoors in the daytime between 7 a. m. 
and 7 p. m. in summer ; and between 9 a. m. 
and 4 p. m. in whiter, after the age of three oi" 
four months. In the summer, the baby may be 
placed in a baby carriage and kept in a shaded 
spot; in the winter^ — except when the weather 
is freezing — the baby may be well wrapped up 
and placed in its carriage on a side porch. The 
fact that the mother lives in an apartment 
house should be no excuse for keeping the baby 
indoors, for it may be warmly covered and 
placed in a clothes basket on a fire escape land- 
ing — the basket being securely fastened to the 
fire escape, and straps placed across the basket 
to protect the baby from falling out. 



CHAPTER VI 

FOOD 
BREAST FEEDING 

Breast Milk. — The natural and proper food 
for a baby is maternal breast milk, and every 
effort should be made by the mother to nurse 
her baby; it is impossible to prepare any other 
food which will be a perfect substitute for 
breast milk, or which will be similar in its ef- 
fects on the baby. Since breast-fed babies as a 
class are larger and healthier than those which 
are bottle-fed, and since the mortality among 
them is far less, the importance of breast feed- 
ing cannot be too strongly emphasized. 

When not to use Breast Milk. — If the 
mother has tuberculosis, active Bright 's dis- 
ease, advanced heart disease, certain nervous 
diseases such as hysteria or epilepsy, severe 
anemia, cancer, goiter, severe blood poisoning 

55 



56 OUR BABY 

or convulsions as a result of child birth, the 
baby must not be given breast milk. 

When the mother is rapidly losing weight, or 
in case she contracts any acute contagious dis- 
ease, especially diphtheria, or during the course 
of pneumonia, pleurisy, acute rheumatism, ty- 
phoid fever, or any acute illness; or upon the 
advent of pregnancy, nursing should be stopped. 

The return of the menstrual periods may 
sometimes so alter the character and composi- 
tion of the breast milk as to make it advisable 
to feed the baby artificially (see page 68). 

Hygiene of the Nursing Mother. — The diet 
of the nursing mother should consist essentially 
of the foods which she was accustomed to eat be- 
fore pregnancy — that is, those which she can 
digest well. Indigestion in the mother usually 
results in indigestion in the baby ; but the preva- 
lent idea that certain foods should be excluded 
from the diet, because of their tendency to alter 
the breast milk and thus cause colic in the baby, 
is a fallacy. On general principles, there is no 
justification for excluding this or that particu- 
lar fruit or vegetable from the diet. Certain 



FOOD 57 

vegetables, such as onions, which have a dis- 
tinct odor and taste, sometimes gives an un- 
pleasant taste to the mother's milk. Mothers 
with good digestion may eat almost any digest- 
ible food without fear of any ill effects on the 
baby; but when any article of food disagrees 
with the mother, that food should be discon- 
tinued. In a general way it may be stated that 
milk (not more than one quart daily), eggs, 
meat, poultry, fish, cereals, vegetables and 
stewed fruit constitute the basis of the diet, 
with plenty of water between meals. 

Exercise and fresh air are very important ad- 
juncts in maintaining the healthy condition of 
the mother and, therefore, of the breast milk. 

Worri/, anxiety and all nervous excitement 
must be avoided, as they so alter the breast 
milk as to make it poisonous to the baby. 
There should be one free bowel movement each 
day, for constipation in the mother means con- 
stipation in the baby. 

The care of the breasts and nipples is an im- 
portant factor in the maintenance of nursing, 
for the mother's ability to nurse her baby often 



58 OUR BABY 

depends entirely upon the condition of her 
breasts and nipples. If the breasts are very 
full and heavy, they should be supported by a 
well applied breast binder (see page 66), to pre- 
vent ** caking'' or damming back of the milk 
supply. Before and after each nursing, the 
nipples should be carefully washed with boric 
acid solution (one teaspoonful of powdered 
boric acid to a cupful of warm water), and 
thoroughly dried; and, between nursings, the 
nipples ought to be kept covered with a small 
piece of gauze, moistened with albolene. Neg- 
lect of proper care of the nipples may cause 
them to become cracked or fissured with result- 
ant painful nursing ; and a baby must never be 
allowed to touch a cracked or fissured nipple, 
but a nipple shield should be used and a physi- 
cian consulted regarding the treatment. 
" Regularity in Nursing. — Too much emphasis 
cannot be placed on the importance of regularity 
in nursing, for the breast which is emptied at 
definite intervals always produces a better 
quantity and quality of milk than the breast 
which is nursed at frequent, irregular periods. 



FOOD 59 

The habit of quieting the baby by giving it the 
breast every time it cries is a common and per- 
nicious one, and bad results are sure to follow; 
for the baby's digestion will become deranged, 
and hence its tendency to cry more and more. 
The only way to establish regularity and to 
train the baby in a routine life is to feed it 
exactly at the specially established nursing 
hours and at no other times; and, if the baby 
is asleep when the nursing hour arrives, it 
should be wakened and fed. It is necessary 
only to use a little perseverance, for babies are 
creatures of habit and, after a short training, 
they will become accustomed to accept food at 
certain times. No departure should be made 
from the established hours on the plea that the 
baby is restless and seems hungry. 

Water. — More often than not, the restless- 
ness is due to thirst, and a little water is really 
what the baby needs ; a nursing baby should be 
given cool, boiled water three or four times each 
day between the feedings from a nursing bottle. 
All of the tissues of the body require water in 
order to carry out their functions properly, and 



60 OUR BABY 

this sliould not be neglected in the care of a 
growing baby. 

When to Nurse. — The nursing intervals vary 
with the age, weight and condition of the baby, 
but in a general way it may be stated that, dur- 
ing the first four weeks, the nursings should be 
given every two hours from 6 a. m. to 10 p. m. 
with one feeding during the night at 2 a. m. ; 
from four weeks to three months, the nursings 
may be given every two and a half hours with a 
2 A. M. feeding ; and from three to seven months 
every three hours, and from seven to twelve 
months every four hours, without any night 
feeding. 

How to Nurse. — In nursing from the left 
breast, the baby is held on its right side with its 
head supported on the mother's left arm. The 
mother should lean slightly forward so that the 
baby can easily reach the nipple. The baby 
should not be kept at the breast longer than fif- 
teen minutes ; and if it is inclined to remain for 
a longer time at the breast, it indicates a defic- 
ient milk supply. It is especially ipiportant 
that the baby should never be allowed to sleep 



FOOD 61 

at the breast with the nipple in its mouth. If 
the baby nurses too rapidly, the nipple may oc- 
casionally be withdrawn to prevent the baby 
from choking. One breast usually contains a 
sufficient quantity of milk for one feeding, the 
other breast being used for the next feeding; 
and, in order that each breast may get its full 
share of use, the breasts should be alternated 
regularly in giving the feedings. 

After the baby has finished nursing it should 
not be handled, as pressure on the full stomach 
may cause the baby to regurgitate or vomit 
practically all its food. Eegurgitation or 
vomiting immediately after nursing may be 
caused by: (1) Too rapid nursing; (2) too 
frequent nursing; (3) too much milk; or (4) 
may be due to an overrich milk. The condition 
should be treated by removing the baby from 
the breast at intervals of two or three minutes 
during the nursing, or by the use of a nipple 
shield which causes the milk to flow more 
slowly; the nursing intervals may be length- 
ened; or the time at the breast may be short- 
ened; or an ounce of cool boiled water may be 



62 OUR BABY 

given in a nursing bottle before eaeli nursing, 
and tbe mother's diet reduced. 

When the nursing is progressing satisfactor- 
ily, as shown by a contented, thriving baby, it 
is advisable to give one bottle feeding daily in 
place of one of the breast feedings ; this permits 
the mother greater freedom and allows her time 
for a much needed rest and change of scene, 
with the result that she is enabled to supply a 
better quality of milk for a longer period of 
time. Moreover, the baby thus becomes accus- 
tomed to the bottle so that, in case of severe 
illness of the mother — necessitating immediate 
weaning — the baby can be fed artificially with 
less difficulty. 

Signs of Successful Nursing. — There should 
be a gain in weight of not less than four ounces 
weekly; if the gain is less, or if the weight is 
stationary, it usually means that the milk sup- 
ply is faulty. Given an ample supply of milk 
of good quality at proper nursing intervals, the 
baby is satisfied after ten or fifteen minutes and 
falls asleep, becoming restless and crying only 
when the next nursing period approaches. 



FOOD 63 

The stools are yellow and number from one to 
three daily; an occasional green stool is not a 
sign of ill health but, if green stools persist, a 
physician should be called. 

Signs of Unsuccessful Nursing. — When the 
milk supply is scanty, the gain in weight is less 
than four ounces weekly; the baby remains 
longer than fifteen minutes at the breast and 
cries when it is removed; and, long before the 
next nursing hour arrives, the baby shows signs 
of hunger, as evidenced by persistent crying. 
If the quality of the milk is altered in any way 
with a marked disproportion of the nutritional 
elements, the baby may have diarrhea with 
green stools containing curds, or constipation 
may exist ; there may be regurgitation or vomit- 
ing of sour material, or colic and belching, or 
expulsion of gas from the rectum. 

When to Wean. — The exact age at which the 
baby should be weaned must depend upon indi- 
vidual circumstances, for conditions may arise 
which will demand very early weaning. Many 
cases of malnutrition and rickets are due solely 

to prolonged nursing and the poor quality of 
6 



64 OUR BABY 

milk which accompanies it; and diarrhea and 
indigestion frequently occur in babies fed too 
long on breast milk. There are very few 
mothers who can nurse their babies to advan- 
tage longer than seven months ; in many cases 
the breast milk fails entirely at this time, or 
else becomes thin and of a very poor quality, 
because of the impairment of the mother's 
health. A baby that has been successfully 
nourished on breast milk through the first five 
months of life will have sufficient strength and 
power to digest artificial food; hence, the proc- 
ess of weaning may safely commence during the 
sixth month. But conditions may arise in any 
individual case which will necessitate starting 
the weaning at an earlier or later date; there- 
fore, all babies cannot be weaned at the same 
age, and the exact time to start the weaning 
process should be left to the judgment of the 
physician. During the hot summer months, 
weaaing must be slowly and carefully carried 
out. 

How to Wean.-^ Under certain conditions — 
on advice of a physician — ^it may be necessary 



FOOD 65 

to stop all breast feedings abruptly and to wean 
the baby at once; but, as a general rule, the 
process of weaning should be carried out gradu- 
ally by substituting bottle feedings for some of 
the breast feedings. Under normal conditions, 
this may be started during the sixth month. 
The process consists of substituting one bottle 
feeding for one of the breast feedings for a few 
days; then replacing two breast feedings with 
two bottle feedings ; and, a few days later, three 
bottle feedings may be given in place of three 
of the breast feedings. The remaining breast 
feedings are gradually replaced by bottle feed- 
ings so that by the end of the seventh month the 
breast has been entirely withdrawn — the baby 
being fed exclusively on the bottle — and the 
weaning process is complete. After the ninth 
month, it is often possible to feed the baby from 
a cup, which is to be preferred to bottle feedings 
at this time. Only under unusual circumstances 
should a mother nurse her baby after it is ten 
months old. 

Care of Breasts During Weaning. — In order 
to dry up the milk secretion, the mother should 



66 



OUR BABY 



wear a tight, well-fitting breast binder made 
and applied as follows: Take a yard of un- 

A B C 



Fig. 16. — Pattern for Breast Binder. 



bleached muslin, sixteen inches wide ; fold each 



5 



^ 


\ 


^ 
^ 


\ 


1 


\ 


/ 


\ 
\ 


/ 


s 


/ 




/ 




/ 




/ 





Fig. 17. — Breast 
Binder Pattern: 

FOEDED. 



end to the center, then fold 
in at the center (along the 
line BD, Fig. 16), making 
four thicknesses, nine by 
sixteen inches. Cut away the 
portion at the two corners 
(as shown in Fig. 17), so as 
to fit the neck and arms; un- 
fold the material and the 
binder is complete and ready 
to be applied (Fig. 18). 



FOOD 67 




Fig. 18. — Breast Binder. 

Fasten each shoulder strap with a safety pin; 
then make a ^ ^ dart ' ' nnder each arm with small 
safety pins placed vertically; cover the breasts 
with cotton ; pnll the front ends of the binder 
together until it is tight, and fasten with safety 
pins placed vertically. 

The mother 's diet should be so regulated as to 
reduce all liquids to a minimum ; and her bowels 
should be kept freely open by taking a saline 
cathartic — such as Epsom or Eochelle salts, one 
tablespoonful in a glass of hot water every half 
hour for three doses ; and, every morning there- 
after, one tablespoonful in hot water before 
breakfast until the breasts are soft and painless. 

As a rule, massage of the breasts and expres- 
sion of the milk, or the use of the breast pump, 



68 OUR BABY 

are to be avoided; however, if the breasts be- 
come very tender and painful and ^' caked/' 
or greatly distended, it may be necessary for a 
day to massage the breasts and express the milk 
from each breast for a period of ten or fifteen 
minutes, repeating this process every two hours 
during the day, the breast binder being worn in 
the intervals. After one day, the breasts as a 
rule will not need this attention. 

It is advisable to keep the binder on for a 
period of two weeks, even if the breasts appear 
to be dry before the end of that time. 

BOTTLE FEEDING 

When conditions arise which make it unad- 
visable or impossible for a mother to nurse her 
baby at the breast, it becomes necessary to fur- 
nish the baby with a food which will closely 
correspond to and be a suitable substitute for 
breast milk. The subject of bottle feeding is 
complicated, and is often one of the most per- 
plexing problems with which the mother, as well 
as the physician, has to deal in caring for the 
baby; it requires intelligence, patience and 



FOOD 69 

rigid attention to details in order to adapt the 
food to the needs of the baby. 

Kind of Food. — Cow's milk, properly pre- 
pared and diluted, is the only practicable food 
which closely resembles the human breast milk, 
and Avhich will give uniformly good results in 
feeding young babies. In some cases, the milk 
may be modified by the addition of whey, barley 
water, gruels, broths, etc. The milk used for 
bottle feeding should be mixed herd-milk and 
not that obtained from a single cow ; since milk 
from a single cow varies greatly in its propor- 
tions, from day to day. 

Loose can-milk is not fit for feeding babies; 
the constant opening of the can admits all kinds 
of contamination. The milk for use in feeding 
babies should be obtained from the cows under 
the very best hygienic conditions; it should be 
bottled at the dairy, and every means must be 
employed to safeguard its cleanliness and fresh- 
ness until it reaches the consumer. 

Regularity in Feeding. — Bottle feedings must 
be given with absolute regularity, otherwise the 
baby's digestion is sure to become deranged 



70 OUR BABY 

with resultant colic, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. 
The only way to establish regularity and to 
properly train the baby is to feed it exactly on 
the prescribed feeding hours; and the baby 
should always be wakened and fed, if it is 
asleep, when the hour arrives. The baby is a 
creature of habit and, by perseverance, is soon 
trained to sleep between feedings, waking up 
with clock-like precision at feeding time. 

Quantity of Food. — The amount of food to 
be given at a feeding depends upon the 
age, health, weight and general condition of 
the baby, and should always be regulated by the 
physician. A very frequent mistake of the 
mother is in giving too large a quantity of food 
— ^more than the stomach can hold — with the re- 
sult that the excess of food is regurgitated or 
vomited, and the mother may be led to think that 
the character of the food does not agree with 
her baby. In general, a healthy baby, with 
good stools and with no gastric disturbance, 
may be given at each feeding the following 
number of ounces of food, according to the 
age: 



FOOD 71 



AGE 




QUANTITY OF FOOD 


1 to 7 


days 


1 


to 2 ounces 


2 weeks 


2 


to 21/2 " 


3 


a 


2 


to 3 


4 to 8 


li 


21/2 


to 4 " 


2 


months 


3 


to 4 " 


3 to 4 


a 


3 


to 5 " 


5 


11 


4 


to 6 " 


6 


li 


5 


to 8 " 


7 to 10 


a 


6 


to 8 '' 


11 


u 


6 


to 9 


12 


a 


7 


to 9 " 



When to Feed. — No set rule can be given foi 
the frequency or number of bottle feedings, 
since individual conditions differ and no two 
babies are fed exactly alike. During the first 
month, or six weeks, of life, the bottle feedings 
are generally given every two hours from 6 
A. M. to 10 p. M. with one bottle during the night 
at 2 A. M. ; from one to three months, every two 
and a half hours with one night feeding at 2 
A. M. ; from three to seven months, every three 
hours without any night feeding; and from 
seven to twelve months, every four hours with- 
out any night feeding. 

Preparation of Food. — Pure, undiluted cow's 



72 OUR BABY 

milk is unfit for the baby, because the baby's 
digestive organs cannot digest the large amount 
of ^^ casein," or curd, contained in cow's milk; 
moreover, the curd which forms from cow's milk 
is firmer and tougher than that of human breast 
milk. Hence, the milk must be diluted — using 
boiled water — before giving it to the baby; and 
sugar, in the form of granulated sugar or malt 
sugar, must be added to make up for the defic- 
iency caused by the dilution. The use of ^^top 
milk" — obtained by means of the Chapin dip- 
per — is the simplest and most practicable 
method of obtaining a milk containing the re- 
quired percentage of cream. (Top milk con- 
sists of the upper layer of bottled milk which is 
rich in cream and which is removed after the 
milk has stood four or five hours in the milk 
bottle). 

It is advisable to prepare, each day, a quantity 
of food sufficient for the total number of feed- 
ings to be given during the twenty-four hours. 
To make the mixture: A quantity of water is 
boiled and the required amount of it is placed 
in a clean vessel; the prescribed amount of 



FOOD 73 

sugar is tlien added and dissolved in the boiled 
water; then, this sugar solution is cooled by 
placing the vessel containing it in a larger ves- 
sel of cold water ; and, when the sugar solution 
is cool, the prescribed quantity of milk is added. 
It is best to pour the mixture into the 
feeding bottles — as many as there are feedings 
in the twenty-four hours, with two extra bot- 
tles for use in case of accident — and, after the 
bottles have been stoppered with cotton, they 
are placed in the refrigerator until feeding 
time. However, if there is not sufficient space 
in the refrigerator to accomodate the feeding 
bottles, the mixture may be placed in a clean 
glass jar or bottle, tightly stoppered, and 
should be kept cold by placing it in the refrig- 
erator ; at the feeding hour, the glass jar or bot- 
tle should be shaken so as to get a uniform mix- 
ture; the amount to be given to the baby for 
its feeding is then poured into the nursing bot- 
tle and the balance of the mixture is replaced in 
the refrigerator. Before feeding the baby, the 
nursing bottle, containing the proper quantity 
of food, should be heated blood warm by stand- 



74 OUR BABY 

ing it for two or three minutes in a pitcher, or 
other vessel, containing hot water ; the tempera- 
ture of the milk may be tested by allowing the 
milk to drop on the inner surface of the wrist 
where it should feel warm, but not hot. Cold 
milk should never be given to a baby under one 
year of age, as it may produce colic or other 
gastro-intestinal disturbance. 

It is impossible to formulate any mixture 
which will meet the requirements of all babies. 
Therefore, in giving bottle feedings to a baby, 
the formula should be prepared strictly accord- 
ing to the directions prescribed by the physi- 
cian ; and no mother should attempt to feed her 
baby on any mixture which she may think 
proper, but should allow this to be prescribed 
by the physician. 

How to Give a Bottle Feeding. — In feeding 
the baby from a bottle during the early weeks 
of life, the mother should hold the baby with its 
head supported on one arm ; with her other hand 
she holds the bottle in proper position during 
the entire time that the food is being taken. 
The bottle should be tilted slightly forward to 



FOOD 75 

prevent air from entering the nipple, and the 
hottle must be tilted more and more as the 
amount of milk in it becomes less. In other 
words — the milk should, at all times, be kept 
in the nipple, or nipple-end of the bottle, so that 
the baby will have no difficulty in getting the 
milk. Under no circumstances should a feed- 
ing bottle be given to a baby and then left 
alone; for the nipple is sure to slip out of the 
baby's mouth and the bottle roll out of the 
baby's reach. For the night feeding, the baby 
may be comfortably adjusted in its crib and the 
bottle feeding given; but the nurse or mother 
should hold the bottle until the baby has finished 
its meal. 

After the baby is a few months old, the bottle 
may be given to it during the day with the baby 
lying comfortably in its crib, or carriage, but 
the bottle should always be held by the mother 
or nurse. 

It should not require more than twenty 
minutes for the baby to take all of its bottle 
feeding; if a longer time is consumed, it may be 
due to a too small nipple opening, or to a faulty 



76 OUR BABY 

composition of the milk mixture. If the open- 
ing of the nipple is too large, the baby takes the 
milk too rapidly and will at once regurgitate or 
vomit its food. 

Any food remaining in the bottle, after the 
baby has finished nursing, should be discarded. 

Water. — Between the feedings, water which 
has been boiled and cooled should be given three 
or four times daily; from one to eight ounces 
may be given at a time, according to the age 
and condition of the baby. 

Signs of Successful Feeding^. — The gain in 
weight should be at least four ounces weekly, 
and the baby should be comfortable and sleep 
between feedings, and have one or two yellow 
stools daily. 

Signs of Unsuccessful Feeding. — The baby 
requires a long time to finish the bottle feeding, 
provided the nipple opening is not too small, or 
may not take all of it. There may be vomiting, 
colic, or green stools containing undigested 
curd ; and loss, or very slight gain, in weight. 

Care of the Nursing Bottles. — The cylindri- 
cal form of bottle (Fig. 19) is the best, and as 



FOOD 



77 




many bottles should be used as there 
are feedings in the twenty-four 
hours. As soon as a bottle has 
been used, it must be thoroughly 
rinsed in cold water and then kept 
in a solution of baking soda and 
water (two tablespoonfuls to the 
quart). Once a day, all bottles 
should be cleaned inside and out- 
side with a bottle brush and warm 
soap suds; then the bottles may be 
boiled in plain water for fifteen 
minutes; and, after being cooled, 
they should be filled 
with the feeding mixture, stop- 
pered with cotton, and placed in a 
refrigerator. Or, the empty bot- 
tles, after being boiled, may be 
kept in a soda solution and rinsed 
in plain water just before being 
filled with the feeding mixture. 
Care of Rubber Nipples. — The 

Fig. 20.— Rub- . , i ■, n 

BEE Nipple: uipples must be 01 puro gum or 
Shape.^ black rubber and the tip should be 



Fig. 19.— 
Nursing 
Bottle. 




78 



OUR BABY 





Fig. 21. — Rubber Nipples: Incob- 
EECT Shapes. 



small (Fig. 20), so as to imitate closely the 
human breast nipple. The long-tipped and the 

conical rubber 
nipples (Fig. 21) 
should not be 
used; because of 
their large size 
and length, they 
fill nearly the 
entire mouth of 
the baby, so that, 
when milk is drawn through them, gagging and 
vomiting of the baby follow, because the tip of 
the nipple comes into contact with the pharyn- 
geal muscles. It is best to purchase ^ * blind '^ 
nipples — those without openings in the end — 
and make the holes of the reqmred size with a 
hot needle; the holes should be of such size as 
to allow the milk to drop slowly when the bottle 
is inverted. The best form of rubber nipple 
is the * ^Anti-Colic" nipple (Fig. 20), made by 
the Davol Eubber Company; another excellent 
form of nipple is known as ^^ Ingram's Ex- 
port Quality,'' which is made of pure gum m 



FOOD 79 

various styles; but only the anti-colic shape 
should be used. The advantage of the Ingram 
nipple is that it retains its firmness and shape 
longer than the rubber nipples. 

After being used, the nipples must be 
scrubbed thoroughly on the outside and then, 
after being turned inside out, should be 
scrubbed on the inside with a soft-bristled 
brush, using a solution of boric acid (one tea- 
spoonful of powdered boric acid to a cupful of 
warm water), and then kept in a covered jar 
containing a solution of boric acid until used; 
this solution ought to be freshly made each day. 
Once a day, all nipples must be boiled for five 
minutes and, just before using, they ought to be 
dipped in hot water; when the nipples become 
soft from use, they should be discarded. 

Sterilization of Milk. — The principle of 
sterilization is to kill all germs present in the 
milk; this is done by heating the milk to the 
boiling point for a period of thirty minutes, 
after which the milk is cooled. It is just as im- 
portant to prevent other germs from entering 
the milk after it has been sterilized, and this is 



80 OUR BABY 

accomplished by means of cotton stoppers 
placed in the mouths of the bottles. In order 
to sterilize milk, stopper the bottles of milk with 
cotton and stand them in a vessel of cool water 
—the water being of snch a depth as to half 
cover the bottles; allow the water to boil for 
half an hour and then gradually replace the hot 
water with cold; when the milk bottles are 
cooled, they should be placed on ice. 

Sterilization renders the milk less nutritious, 
and much more indigestible, and more consti- 
pating ; and its continued use tends to the de- 
velopment of scurvy. This method of treating 
the milk is useful if a long journey is to be 
taken. 

Pasteurization. — This consists of heating the 
milk up to a temperature of 155° Fahrenheit for 
thirty minutes and then rapidly cooling it ; this 
will kill the germs of tuberculosis and the acute 
infectious diseases, such as typhoid fever, 
scarlet fever, diphtheria and the diarrheal dis- 
eases. Special pasteurizers may be obtained 
from instrument makers or from druggists. In 
the hot summer months, if there is no means at 



FOOD 81 

hand for keeping the milk fresh for twenty-four 
hours, or if the purity of the milk supply is 
doubtful, the milk may be pasteurized before 
using it as food for the baby. But when the 
supply is pure, nothing equals rmv milk kept 
cool by means of a refrigerator, and raw milk 
should always be used in feeding the baby un- 
less the physician orders it to be pasteurized. 

Condensed Milk. — This should never be used 
as food for the baby if the mother can buy and 
properly prepare cow's milk. Condensed milk 
— because of its lack of fat and tissue-building 
elements — will, if used for any length of time, 
produce rickets and scurvy in the baby. ** Con- 
densed milk babies" are usually fat and gain 
rapidly in weight, but they are not always 
healthy babies : they have little resisting power ; 
their skin becomes pale and flabby; they fre- 
quently develop scurvy; and they eventually 
suffer from indigestion and marasmus. 

However, condensed milk has its uses : among 
the poor who cannot afford a refrigerator in 
which to keep cow 's milk ; for a short period in 
ease of young, delicate babies with weak diges- 



82 OUR BABY 

tion ; and in traveling, condensed milk is a very 
useful and satisfactory food for a limited length 
of time. It should be made in the following 
proportions, according to the age of the baby: 
One part of condensed milk to twelve parts of 
boiled water, during the first two months of 
life ; one to ten, during the third month ; one to 
eight, during the fourth and fifth months; and 
one to six, from the sixth month to the twelfth 
month. 

Proprietary Foods. — There are numerous 
patented Baby Foods now on the market, some 
of them claiming to be a ** perfect substitute 
for mother's milk": most of these foods con- 
sist chiefly of malt sugar and some contain a 
large quantity of indigestible starch; the ex- 
clusive use of some of these foods frequently 
results in scurvy. The custom of exploiting 
photographs of fat babies for the purpose of 
illustrating the supposed virtues of a propri- 
etary food — composed chiefly of malt sugar — is 
a procedure which should not mislead mothers ; 
for the credit, which the manufacturer thus 
seeks to attribute to his particular food, really 



FOOD 83 

belongs to the nutritive properties of the cow's 
milk with which the patented food was used. 
There is no foundation for the claim of the 
manufacturers of these proprietary foods that 
their use facilitates digestion; just as wonder- 
ful results can be obtained by using cane sugar 
(granulated), or malt sugar (dextri-maltose or 
maltine), as by using these Baby Foods. 

These proprietary foods have their value in 
a few limited cases, at which time the baby 
should be under the direction of a competent 
physician. The promiscuous use of these pro- 
prietary foods causes a great deal of harm. 

Milk for Traveling. — If a long journey is to 
be taken, condensed milk (page 81) may be ad- 
vantageously used, or the milk may be sterilized 
(page 79). 

DIET AFTER THE FIRST YEAR 

The majority of mothers are woefully igno- 
rant regarding the food suitable for feeding 
the baby after the first year ; neither have they 
intelligent knowledge of its proper preparation 
and administration. At this period of life, the 



84 OUR BABY 

majority of babies are overfed at improper in- 
tervals with wholly unsuitable food; it is a too 
common thing to find that a mother is feeding 
her baby cofPee, watermelon, etc., at this age. 

The so much dreaded ^^ second summer" 
would have fewer victims if parents had a bet- 
ter knowledge of how to feed their babies: 
properly managed, the second summer is no 
more dangerous than any other summer during 
the child's early life. 

The practice of giving a year-old baby 
^'tastes" from the table is a pernicious custom; 
not only is the food often unsuitable, but it is 
given irregularly, supplemented by cake and 
crackers between meals. Of course, the child 
becomes ill because the digestive organs cannot 
tolerate such abuse, especially during the hot 
summer months. 

When the baby is twelve months old, it is the 
practice of the author to give the mother a diet 
list. Each article of food should be carefully 
prepared and given in small quantities, and the 
feedings should be given regularly. The in- 
crease in the diet of many children is accom- 



FOOD 85 

plished with difficulty, for tliey may refuse all 
forms of nourishment other than milk. It will 
require much patience in feeding such children, 
and the more solid foods should be given first, 
and the milk held in reserve at the feeding hour. 
The following diet lists may be of service as 
a guide in feeding children at the ages indi- 
cated, but these lists are not to be taken too 
literally. The physical development of a baby, 
rather than its age, is the real guide for deter- 
mining the amount of food to be given. But in 
general, in the author's experience, these lists 
have been found suitable for the average 
healthy child. The mother should select one 
article — where a choice is indicated — and vary 
the diet each day, so that the child will not tire 
of any one food. 

Dr. Clock's Diet list for Healthy Babies 
Twelve to Eighteen Months Old. 

Breakfast (6-7 a. m.) : Orange juice, 1 to 2 ounces 

or Pulp of 6 stewed prunes. 
Milk, 8 ounces. 
Toast or zwieback. 

Forenoon (10 a.m.): Milk, 8 ounces. 



86 OUR BABY 

Dinner (1 p.m.) : Soup: 6 ounces of chicken, beef 

or mutton soup 
or Beef juice, 3 ounces. 
Toast or crackers. 
Milk, 8 ounces. 

Afternoon (3 p. m.) : Milk, 8 ounces. 

Supper (6 p.m.): Gruel: made of oatmeal, barley, 

farina or arrowroot, with milk 
— 4 ounces of each. 
Apple sauce. 
Toast and Milk. 

Plenty of cool boiled WATER to drink between meals. 

Orange juice should be strained through mus- 
lin to remove the seeds and pulp, and is best 
given diluted with water. Begin by giving one 
or two teaspoonfuls, and gradually increase 
up to two ounces. It should be given one hour 
before breakfast. 

Prune pulp is prepared by stewing the dried 
prunes without sugar until they are soft, and 
removing all the skin by putting the fruit 
through a strainer. From one to two teaspoon- 
fuls may be given at a time. 

Crackers, — Zwieback (Nat. Bis. Co.), Educa- 
tors, or Huntley & Palmer breakfast biscuits. 



FOOD 87 

Soup, — Begin with two or three ounces and 
increase gradually. See under Broth, page 91. 

Beef Juice. — Begin with one teaspoonful and 
increase up to three ounces. See page 91. 

Gruels should be cooked at least two hours, 
and three hours if oatmeal is used. At first, 
give one or two table spoonfuls and increase up 
to four ounces. Give with an equal amount of 
milk and with plenty of salt, but without sugar. 
After the fifteenth month, the cereals may be 
given much thicker. 

Milk is best given from a cup, with the excep- 
tion of one feeding at night which may be given 
from a bottle for two or three months. 

Water. — Give one to eight ounces at a time, 
according to age, from a glass or cup. 

Dr. Clock's Diet List for Healthy Babies 
Eighteen to Twenty-four Months Old. 

Breakfast (6-7 a. m.) : Juice of one orange 

or Pulp of 6 stewed prunes. 

Cereal: Farina, cream of wheat, 
oatmeal, wheatena, or rice 
(sweetened or salted) with top 
milk. 
Milk, 8 ounces. 



88 



OUR BABY 



Forenoon (10 A. m.) : 
Dinner (1 p. m.) : 



Afternoon (3 p. m.) : 
Supper (6 p. m.) : 



Milk, 8 ounces with toast. 

Soup: 6 ounces of beef, mutton 
or chicken soup thickened with 
farina, rice or peas. 
or Vegetable soup with yolk of one 

Ggg 
or Beef juice with bread crumbs 
or Soft boiled egg. 

Milk, 8 ounces, with graham 

wafers or sponge cake (lady 

fingers). 

Milk, 8 ounces. 

Stewed fresh fruit. 
Custard. 
Milk, 8 ounces. 
Toast or zwieback. 



Plenty of cool boiled WATER to drink between meals. 

Dr. Clock's Diet List for Healthy Children 
Two to Three Years of Age. 

Breakfast (7-8 a. M.)i Fruit: Juice of one orange 

or Pulp of 6 stewed prunes 
or Apple sauce. 
Cereal : Farina, cream of wheat, 
oatmeal, hominy or rice 
(sweetened or salted) with 
top milk 
or Egg: soft boiled, with toast. 
Glass of milk. 



FOOD 



89 



Dinner (12-1 p. m.) : 



Soup: Chicken, beef or mut- 
ton, thickened with rice, peas, 
arrowroot, toasted bread 
squares, or yolk of one Qgg. 

Meat: Scraped beef or white 
meat of chicken. 

Vegetables: Potato — ^mashed or 
baked — fresh peas, asparagus, 
spinach. 

Dessert: Junket, custard, apple 
sauce or pulp of baked apple. 

Glass of milk with Educator 
crackers or graham wafers. 



Supper {5-Q p. m.) 



Stewed fresh fruit. 
Cereal or Qgg (not both). 
Bread and milk or custard; 

warm milk or cocoa and 

crackers. 



Plenty of pure cool WATER to drink between meals. 



Dr. Clock's Diet List for Healthy Children 
Three to Six Years of Age. 

Breakfast (7-8 a. m.): Fruit: Oranges, stewed prunes, 

cantaloupe, apples. 
Cereal: Farina, cream of wheat, 
wheatena, rice, oatmeal (sweet- 
ened or salted) with top milk. 
Egg: Soft boiled or poached. 
Milk or Cocoa. 



90 



OUR BABY 



Dinner (12-1 p. m.) : 



Supper {5-6 p. m.) : 



Soup: Chicken, beef, mutton, or 
oyster. 

Meat : Chicken, roast beef, beef- 
steak, fish, lamb chop. 

Vegetables: Potato — mashed or 
baked — spinach, peas, string 
beans, carrots, cauliflower, as- 
paragus. 

Dessert: Tapioca, bread or rice 
pudding, custard, baked ap- 
ple, prune souffle, ice cream. 

Bread and butter. 

Milk. 

Milk Toast 
or Soup: puree, such as celery, 

pea, etc. 
or Cereal 
or Egg. 

Stewed fresh fruit, custard or 

pudding. 
Milk and graham crackers or 
toast. 



Plenty of pure cool WATER to drink between meals. 



FOOD FORMULAS 

Albumen Water. — Place the whites of two 
eggs in a pint of cold, boiled water. Break up 
by drawing a knife through the albumen a few 
times {do not heat up) ; add a little sugar and 



FOOD 91 

place on ice. In using, shake up and strain 
through gauze or cheese cloth. 

Beef Juice. — Lightly broil a small steak ; cut 
into small pieces and place them in a lemon 
squeezer or meat press, and squeeze out the 
juice ; flavor with a little salt. 

Barley Water. — Add two tablespoonfuls of 
Eobinson's Patent Barley Flour to a quart of 
water; place in a double boiler and boil down 
to one pint; strain through muslin or cheese 
cloth ; add enough boiled water to make a quart, 
and slightly sweeten with granulated sugar. 

Broth. — Chicken, mutton, or beef: — Place 
one pound of chopped, lean meat in a pint of 
water; let it stand for four hours. Cook over 
a slow fire for an hour, or until it cooks down 
to half a pint. Cool, skim off the fat, and 
strain. In making mutton broth, it is best to 
use the neck of mutton so that the broth will 
be rich in gelatin. 

Gruels. — Add two tablespoonfuls of cereal — 
barley, oatmeal, farina, etc. — to a quart of 
water. Boil down to a pint and strain through 
muslin or cheese cloth. 



92 OUR BABY . 

Oatmeal Water. — Add two tablespoonfuls of 
oatmeal to a quart of water; place in a double 
boiler and boil down to one pint ; strain tbrougb. 
muslin or cheese clotb ; add enough boiled water 
to make a quart, and slightly sweeten with 
granulated sugar. 



CHAPTEE VII 

WEIGHT 

The average weight at birth of boy babies is 
seven and a half pounds; girl babies weighing 
slightly less. 

Loss.— During the first four days of life, 
there is a loss of weight because the amount of 
nourishment taken by the baby does not equal 
the body waste thrown out by the bowels and 
bladder. This loss is usually regained by the 
tenth day; if there is a gradual loss after this 
time, it means deficient quantity, or quality, of 
the milk. 

Gain. — - After the initial loss is made up, there 
should be a steady and progressive gain in 
weight, otherwise there is serious fault some- 
where; but no two babies gain alike, and the 
mother should not worry because her baby does 
not weigh as much as her neighbor's. A baby 
is doing fairly well if it gains on an average 

93 



94 OUR BABY 

four ounces a week during ten months in the 
year ; if it gains more than this, the mother may 
feel perfectly satisfied with the baby's prog- 
ress. The gain is much less in summer than in 
winter. 

Failure to Gain. — When the baby stops gain- 
ing and the weight remains stationary, the 
cause may be due to faulty nutrition, or bad 
hygiene — from keeping the baby too closely 
housed, or in overheated rooms. In some 
babies, the process of teething will result iu 
failure to gain, but for a few days only. Dur- 
ing the hot summer months, there may be only 
a slight gain, or the weight may remain station- 
ary; a rapid gain taking place as soon as the 
cool months arrive. 

When to Weigh. — Every baby should be ac- 
curately weighed once a week until one year old. 
During the second year, the gain in weight is 
less regular and once a month is frequent 
enough for the weighing. 

How to Weigh. — If regular baby scales are 
too expensive, a good counter scale — such as is 
used in grocery stores — will answer the pur- 



WEIGHT 95 

pose admirably, and may be obtained at a rea- 
sonable price. A thin towel should be placed 
in the scale pan and the scales carefully bal- 
anced. The baby, without any clothing, is 
placed on the scales, and the weight determined. 
Average Weights for Various Ages. — The 
following are average weights and must not be 
taken too literally; if the baby is making a 
steady gain, it makes little difference whether 
its weight is below or above the average. 



Age 






Weight 




1 to 7 


days 




71/2 


pounds 


2 weeks 




73/4 


a 


3 


u 




8y4 


a 


4 to 8 


u 


834 to 101/4 


it 


2 


niontlis 




103/4 


a 


3 to 4 


u 


12 


to 14 


it 


5 


u 




15 


it 


6 


ii 




16 


a 


7 to 10 


u 


17 


to 19 


it 


11 


ii 




20 


li 


12 


6' 




21 


u 



CHAPTEE Vni 

OUTINGS 

Importance of Fresh Air. — Fresh air is just 
as necessary for the proper growth and de- 
velopment of the baby as is pure milk. Many 
times, additional food is given to a baby that is 
losing weight when all it needs is an abundant 
supply of fresh air. The tissues of the body 
cannot assimilate the food unless they are in a 
healthy condition, and the life of the tissues 
depends upon the oxygen contained in the air; 
therefore, the baby should always be given an 
abundant supply of fresh air. 

When to Take the Baby Out. — If born in 
summer, the baby may safely have its first out- 
ing at the end of the first week between the 
hours of 7 A. M. and 7 p. m. The first outing 
may last for an hour, gradually increasing the 
time according to the condition of the weather. 
On very hot days, the baby must be kept out of 

96 



OUTINGS 97 

tlie smi during the middle of the day. In the 
winter, the first outing should be deferred until 
the baby is one month old ; then, if the weather 
is not freezing, or the wind is not blowing 
strong, the baby may be taken out between 9 
A. M. and 4 p. m. — but only for a few minutes at 
first. The baby should be placed in a baby car- 
riage and not carried in the arms of the nurse, 
except during the first outing; and sunlight 
must be prevented from shining directly into 
the baby's eyes. 

Where to Take the Baby. — In the country, 
this question is easily decided, but in a large 
city it is more difficult ; an open spot — such as a 
park — which is free from dust and where there 
is plenty of fresh air, should be selected. In 
winter, the baby may be placed in the baby car- 
riage on a side porch, away from strong winds ; 
or, in case the home is in an apartment house, 
the baby may be placed in a clothes basket 
which is securely fastened to the landing of a 
fire escape — the baby being held in the basket 
by straps. 

Airing Indoors. — If the weather or the baby's 



98 OUR BABY 

condition prevents an outing, the baby may be 
dressed as for an outing and taken into an up- 
per room which admits sunlight. The doors of 
the room should be closed and then all the win- 
dows widely opened; and the airing process con- 
tinued for the same length of time as a regular 
outing. 

Outdoor Clothing. — See page 32. 

Country in Summer. — During the hot sum- 
mer months, if the home is in the city, arrange- 
ments may be made for taking the baby to the 
seashore or mountains. Young babies endure 
with difficulty the hot, humid weather, and a 
short stay at the shore or in the mountains — 
where they can be kept in the fresh air — will 
frequently do more than any medical aid toward 
restoring sick babies to health. 

But it must be borne in mind that certain 
factors arise in the country which often render 
it undesirable as a place for the baby to stay. 
Just as much care should be exercised to ob- 
tain clean milk in the country as in the city ; and 
loose farm milk must not be used — only bottled 
milk, and that too which has been bottled at the 



OUTINGS 99 

dairy. If this farm milk is known to be pure 
and fresh, and obtained under sanitary condi- 
tions, then this milk may be used; but if there 
is any doubt on these points, then it is advis- 
able to procure bottled milk. Flies and mos- 
quitoes are usually more plentiful in the country 
and, hence, great care must be used to prevent 
them from gaining access to the baby and to the 
baby's food. Dusty roads are often the cause 
of annoying bronchial conditions in the baby, 
and care should be taken to protect the baby 
from all dust. Then, too, country boarding 
houses and hotels are not conducive to quiet, so 
that the baby may be kept in a constant state of 
restlessness with loss of sleep. 



CHAPTEE IX 

EXERCISE 

Effect of Exercise on Health. — Exercise in 
the open air and sunshine invigorates the 
nerves; stimulates the circulation, respiration, 
and digestion; maintains the appetite and regu- 
lar movement of the bowels; and develops the 
muscles. The most important groups of 
muscles which should be developed are those of 
the back which support the spine; for, when 
these are weak, the spine tends to be drawn for- 
ward, so that the chest movements are inter- 
fered with; and this prevents sufficient oxygen 
from getting to the lungs, and interferes with 
the nutrition and general welfare of the child. 

How the Baby Gets Exercise. — During the 
first two weeks, about the only exercise the baby 
takes is crying — which develops the lungs and 
chest; but it soon begins to kick and to move 
its arms about. At the age of two weeks, the 

100 



EXERCISE 101 

baby may be systematically carried about in the 
arms of the nurse, twice daily, in order to af- 
ford change of position. After the age of three 
months, the baby should be placed each day for 
a short time absolutely naked on a blanket, or 
bed, in a warm room, free from drafts, so that 
it may kick freely. When the baby begins to 
walk, ample opportunity is afforded for addi- 
tional exercise; for this purpose, the exercise 
pen is valuable, and the baby should be dressed 
while in it. Care must be used to see that the 
baby does not stand too long at any one time, 
otherwise the bones of the legs will be weak- 
ened and misshapen. No appliances to assist 
the baby in walking should be used, nor should 
the baby be urged to walk. 



CHAPTEE X 

TRAINING AND HABITS 

Food and Sleep. — Of prime importance is 
regularity in the feeding and sleeping hours; 
and the baby should be trained from birth to 
sleep at certain, definite periods and to know 
that food can be obtained only at certain hours. 
During the daytime, the baby must be wakened 
punctually on the feeding hours and then al- 
lowed to go to sleep again as soon as the feed- 
ing is finished. During the night, if the baby 
awakens at other than the feeding hour, the 
restlessness may be due to a soiled diaper or to 
a disarrangement of the clothing; when these 
have been inspected, the baby should be left 
alone and, when it discovers that nothing is to 
be gained by crying, it will go to sleep again. 
If it is sick, it should receive care suitable for 
the particular condition. In case the restless- 
ness is due to colic — which will manifest itself 

102 



TRAINING AND HABITS 103 

by a sudden, sharp cry, associated with expul- 
sion of gas from the rectum, drawing up of the 
legs and distention of the abdomen — a rectal 
irrigation (see page 127) will often relieve the 
condition and quiet the baby. In no case 
should a well baby be taken up at night except 
at the feeding hour; neither should the mother 
or nurse walk the floor with the baby in her 
arms, nor sit in the room and sing to it, nor 
leave a light burning with the hope of quieting 
the baby. The baby must be trained to stay in , 
bed in a dark room until morning. Every baby 
should be trained to sleep through a moderate 
amount of noise, such as the sound of voices, 
music, etc., for it is a great mistake to talk in 
whispers or walk on tiptoe in the nursery 
while the baby is asleep. 

Pacifiers. — These must never be used to quiet 
a baby; they are unhygienic, unsanitary and 
productive of great harm as well as disease. 

Bowel Function. — The baby should be 
trained early to exercise control over the bowel 
movements, and this training may be started 
at the sixth week. The mother or nurse places 



104 OUR BABY 

a small, warmed chamber in her lap, and then 
holds the baby on the chamber, at the same time 
supporting the baby's back against her chest. 
If the bowels do not move in a few minutes, the 
mother or nurse may place a little vaseline on 
the tip of her finger and gently irritate the lower 
part of the baby's rectum; she should keep the 
finger there a few minutes, being careful not to 
allow the finger nail to injure the baby. If this 
procedure is persisted in, the baby will soon as- 
sociate the position and surroundings with the 
act of moving its bowels. However, if this posi- 
tion and the vaselined finger do not accomplish 
the desired result, a soap stick may be used ; this 
is made by cutting a little bar from a cake of cas- 
tile soap and then whittling it into a conical 
stick. Place some vaseline on the end of the 
soap stick and then insert the soap stick into the 
baby's rectum, holding it there until the bowel 
movement pushes it out ; this treatment may be 
repeated daily for weeks until the baby's bowels 
move unaided. 

When the baby is old enough to sit up, it may 
be placed in a nursery chair at the proper time 



TRAINING AND HABITS 105 

for the bowels to move; this chair is made of 
wicker with a hole in the seat and a space below 
for the chamber; there is also an opening, in 
the side of the chair below the seat, through 
which the mother's or nurse's hand may be 
passed in case the soap stick, or the vaselined 
finger, becomes necessary. 

It requires much patience and perseverance 
to accomplish the teaching of proper control of 
the bowel function, and children differ in the 
rapidity with which they learn this control: 
some acquiring control at the age of six months ; 
many by the age of one year ; and most children 
have acquired control by eighteen months of 
age. 

Playthings. — Playing with the baby or at- 
tempting to amuse it, during the early months 
of life, tends to make the baby fretful and to 
make it sleep badly. Nothing is required to 
amuse the baby until it is five or six months 
old, when toys which make a noise may be given 
to it. Among the toys which babies enjoy are : 
animals, picture books, dolls, alphabetical 
blocks, etc. A child two or three years old will 



106 OUR BABY 

derive much pleasure from playing in a box of 
sea sand. 

Play is a part of every child's training, which 
comes naturally to it, and should be encouraged. 

Talking. — Some babies begin to talk when a 
year old, some not until eighteen or twenty 
months of age ; and no effort should be made to 
teach the baby to talk too early, for it will learn 
at the proper time. 

Truthfulness. — Example is more valuable 
than precept in the instruction of children, for 
they are wonderful imitators both in word and 
action; hence, a child should never be told a 
falsehood by a parent or nurse for the sake of 
gaining the child's obedience. 

Moral Training. — Precept may point the 
way, but silent, continuous example conveyed 
by habits molds the character; therefore, ex-, 
ample is one of the most potent of instructors. 
Whatever is seen makes a deeper impression 
than anything that is read or heard; whatever 
a child sees, it unconsciously imitates and in- 
sensibly it becomes like those who are associ- 
ated with it in daily life; hence, the vast 



TRAINING AND HABITS 107 

importance of domestic training. The example 
set in the home must always be of much greater 
influence in forming the character of the future 
man or woman than any efficiency in the school. 
Example in conduct, therefore, even in the most 
trivial matters, is of great importance, for it 
constantly becomes woven into the life of the 
child and contributes to form its character for 
better or worse. The characters of the parents 
are thus constantly repeated in the child; and 
the acts of affection, discipline and self-control 
which they daily exemplify always remain with 
the child when all else which it may have 
learned through the ear has been forgotten. 

Obedience. — Implicit obedience cannot be 
taught too early, and the child should be gov- 
erned by authority alone. A young child is 
incapable of reasoning and nothing is to be 
gained by argument; nor should bribing be 
resorted to in order to induce the child to obey. 
The simple rule of **Must and Must Not'' 
should be enforced, and the child ought to obey 
out of pure love for its parents, whose word 
should be law; but the mother must never be 



108 OUR BABY 

tyrannical, unreasonable or too exacting. 
Threats and punishments should only be used 
as a last resort. If the child is given some- 
thing to do and the mind thereby kept occupied, 
there will be less occasion for threats and pun- 
ishments. Undressing the child and putting it 
in bed, or making it stand in a corner, will usu- 
ally accomplish the desired result. When pun- 
ishment has been threatened and, in spite of 
it, the child has disobeyed, punishment should 
always follow quickly after the offense, but it 
must never be given in anger. If there is good 
management, few punishments will be needed. 

Selfishness. — Early in its life, the child 
should be taught to think and do for others. 
Since we are all, by nature, selfish, this is a 
hard lesson to learn. Probably one of the best 
means to accomplish this end is to teach the 
child thoughtf nines s, gentleness, kindness, love 
and sympathy for animals by allowing it to 
have a pet of some kind of which it may have 
partial care and responsibility. 

Noise. — It is natural for every child to be 
more or less boisterous and to make noise dur- 



XRAINING AND HABITS 109 

ing play, and it must be patiently taught to en- 
joy its play without making undue noise. 

Fear. — Very early the child ought to be 
taught not to have unreasonable fear; and, to 
this end, care must be used never to let the child 
be frightened. It should be taught to have no 
fear of innocent animals, such as worms, mice, 
etc., and to regard the dark as harmless as the 
light. Ghost stories must not be told or read 
to little children, as the resultant fear may last 
a lifetime. 

Society. — The baby must not be made the 
center of a circle of visitors, but should see just 
enough people to teach it not to be in fear of 
strangers. The custom of ^ ^presenting" the 
baby to visitors excites the baby too much and, 
later in life, develops a forward child who con- 
tinually ** shows oif" or interrupts conversa- 
tion. 

School Life. — The object of the kindergarten 
is to have the child acquire knowledge by play 
and to teach it order and discipline; but the 
custom of sending children at the age of three 
or four years to kindergarten is not to be re- 



110 OUR BABY 

commended. During early childhood, the home 
life molds the character and influences the con- 
duct during later life ; and it is impossible for 
any institution of learning to so effectively in- 
fluence the character, the conduct or the in- 
tellect of a child as the home. For the children 
of the poor, the kindergarten is a great boon: 
it places them under hygienic conditions far 
better, usually, than those that exist in their 
own homes; and it teaches them honesty, kind- 
ness and respect for other children's rights. 
But even the simplest kindergarten instruction 
— which consists of games accompanied by 
songs and body movements — ^necessitates too 
much mental work; for it is a decided mental 
effort to learn songs and rhymes. Precocity is 
not to be desired, for it is no indication of either 
talent or genius. It makes not the slightest 
difference whether the child learns to read at 
the age of six or nine years, but it is of great 
importance that the bodily health should not be 
undermined by overtaxing the brain and nerv- 
t>us system with too early instruction. 

Many children teach themselves their letters 



TRAINING AND HABITS 111 

and even learn to read with very little assist- 
ance. At the age of seven or eight, the child 
may be given some regular lessons and may do 
actual study; hut not at the expense of health. 
The hours should be short — two or three daily 
being sufficient. Throughout the early school 
life, no studies should be prepared at home, for 
the confinement of the school hours is fre- 
quently more than the health can withstand. 
The present day tendency, regarding the men- 
tal training, is one of over-pressure; children 
with growing brains are expected and required 
to do more mental work than is done by most of 
their elders. 

Eyes are often irreparably injured in conse- 
quence of too constant school study, and many 
children have weak eyes before they enter 
school; therefore school instruction should al- 
ways be made secondary to the care of the 
health. Ample time must be allowed, when at- 
tending school, for the child to eat a proper 
lunch, which should not be hastily swallowed or 
of indigestible food. 

Books. — As a rule, books are used too early. 



112 OUR BABY 

The child's body must have sufficient time to 
develop before taxing the mind. In selecting 
books for the child, the following points should 
be kept in mind : 

(1) The story should be one in which virtue 
triumphs over evil. 

(2) Stories about animals serve to teach the 
child love for animals, and therefore 
sympathy and kindness. 

(3) Fairy tales are useful in developing the 
child's imagination. 

(4) The story ought to contain nothing 
which suggests ugliness or fright. 

Gymnasium. — Gymnastic exercises should be 
given in every school, in order to develop the 
body while the mind is being trained. Exer- 
cise breaks the monotony and strain incident to 
school life, and refreshes the child's brain, so 
that the studies are less irksome when resumed. 



CHAPTER XI 

GENERAL CARE, GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 

FIRST DAY OF LIFE 

Immediate Care of Newborn Baby. — After 
the cord has been tied and cut, the entire skin 
surface of the baby should be thoroughly 
rubbed with pure white vaseline or albolene, in 
order to remove the white pasty substance with 
which the skin of a newborn baby is covered. 
Then, with a piece of flannel, or soft towel, the 
skin is gently wiped dry — care being taken to 
remove all the grease and pasty substance from 
the ears, armpits, groins and buttocks. A dry, 
sterile gauze dressing is now applied to the 
cord stump and held in place by a flannel ab- 
dominal binder (see page 24), which may be 
basted on, or fastened with two small safety 
pins. It is not advisable to apply powders — 
such as starch, boric acid, talcum, etc., — to the 
cord stump ; for these powders tend to preserve 

113 



114 OUR BABY 

the cord and make it fall off late. The cord 
dressing must not be disturbed for five days, 
unless a f onl odor issues from it or unless it is 
ordered removed by the physician. 

The eyes are now cleansed with a boric acid 
solution, as described on page 9; and great 
care should be taken to have a silver solution 
placed in the baby's eyes to prevent possible 
infection, this duty being intrusted only to a 
physician. 

The baby may now be weighed (see page 94), 
and then its face is washed with warm water 
and a wash cloth and carefully dried; after 
which the baby should be wrapped in a warmed 
blanket and placed on its right side in a crib or 
bed, in a darkened, quiet room, and allowed to 
sleep for five or six hours. The baby may then 
be bathed (see page 8) by the nurse and after- 
wards dressed (see page 33). 

Nursing. — Six hours after birth, the baby 
may be placed at the breast for five minutes 
and, thereafter, every four hours during the 
first two days. While this early nursing does 
not supply the baby with food, it is, neverthe- 



GENERAL CARE 115 

less, very important and serves several pur- 
poses : — 

First: Suction on the nipples by the baby 
hastens contraction and reduction in size of the 
mother's womb, and so tends to prevent serious 
trouble for her. 

Second: It stimulates the flow of milk in 
the breasts. 

Third: It accustoms the nipples to the pro- 
cess of nursing so that, when the milk supply 
comes in, the nipples are in condition to be 
readily nursed without pain to the mother. 

Fourth: The early breast secretion acts as 
a laxative to the baby. 

After nursing, the baby should be placed 
gently in its crib and left severely alone. Un- 
der certain conditions (see page 55) the mother 
should not nurse her baby. 

Water. — The common idea that the baby 
should be given various teas, sugar-water, etc., 
to sustain it during the first day of life, is en- 
tirely erroneous. The baby needs absolutely 
no food during the first day (except in the case 
of premature or delicate babies) ; if it did, na- 



116 OUR BABY 

ture would have provided for it by establishing 
the flow of mother ^s milk on the first instead 
of the third day. If the baby is restless, it may 
be given lukewarm boiled water from a nurs- 
ing bottle. 

Bowels. — The first bowel movement consists 
of a greenish-black material and, like the subse- 
quent movements, is irritating to the skin, 
which must be bathed and dried (see page 4). 

Sleep. — The baby sleeps practically the en- 
tire first twenty-four hours and should be 
aroused only for its feedings. 

Pacifiers. — These are unhygienic, unsanitary 
and unnecessary, and must not be used (see 
page 5). 

General Care. — Visitors, noise and strong 
light are harmful to the baby and should be 
excluded from the nursery. 

FIRST WEEK 

The Cry. — The newborn baby gets most of 
its exercise by crying, which necessitates deep 
breathing and thus aids in expanding the limgs 
and purifying the blood. Unless the cry is long 



GENERAL CARE 117 

continued at frequent intervals, tlie mother 
should entertain no fear, except when the char- 
acter of the cry (see page 143) indicates that 
the baby has colic, or other discomfort. 

Care of Eyes. — The eyes should be cleansed 
with a boric acid solution each day when the 
daily bath is given (see page 9). If there is a 
secretion or discharge from the eyes, or if the 
eyelids become swollen at any time during the 
first week, a physician should be summoned at 
once so that the eyes may be given proper med- 
ical attention. The baby's eyes must be care- 
fully protected from all bright light, since at 
this age the baby is practically blind and strong 
light is harmful to the eyes. 

The Navel. — The cord usually separates and 
drops off between the fifth and tenth day. 
After this happens, the navel must be carefully 
protected by means of a piece of sterile gauze, 
held in place by the abdominal binder, until the 
navel is completely healed. 

Bath. — During this first week of life, the 
baby must be bathed daily (see page 11) and, 
great care must be exercised to prevent the 



118 OUB BABY 

cord dressing from becoming wet and soiled. 
The baby should not be given a full tub bath 
until the cord has separated and the navel has 
completely healed. 

Weight. — During the first four days, there is 
a normal loss of weight and this should not 
give the mother any anxiety; the loss usually 
amounts to about one-tenth of the birth weight. 
This initial loss is regained usually by the tenth 
day and, after this age, the increase in weight 
should be steady and progressive (see page 93). 
At the end of the first week, the baby should be 
weighed and a record kept of the weight on 
each successive week until the baby is one year 
old. 

Bowels. — The average number of bowel 
movements is usually two or three each day, 
but what may be normal for one baby is not 
normal for another. Hence, if a baby has one 
daily movement which is of good color and con- 
sistency, that baby may be in just as good a 
condition of health as the baby who has three, 
four, or five normal movements. After the 
third day, the color of the bowel movement 



GENERAL CARE 119 

changes from black to brown; and, after the 
fifth day, the movements become deep yellow, 
which is the normal color of a baby's bowel 
movement. The consistency of the movement 
should be soft, not pasty; and it should con- 
tain no mucus or undigested milk curds; and 
it should not be watery, or have any offensive 
odor. 

Urine. — The newborn baby frequently will 
not pass any urine during the first thirty-six 
hours of life ; this is not an unusual occurrence 
and should not be a cause for alarm. During 
the early days of life, the baby's urine is per- 
fectly colorless and leaves no stain on the di- 
aper; this fact frequently leads the mother to 
the erroneous conclusion that the baby has 
voided no urine. However, if the baby has not 
passed any urine by the end of the first twenty- 
four hours, a rectal irrigation (see page 127) of 
warm water should be given. 

Nursing. — On the third day, when the flow 
of milk usually begins, and thereafter until the 
sixth or eighth week, the baby must be put to the 
breast regularly every two hours from 6 a. m. 



120 OUR BABY 

to 10 p. M. with one feeding during the night 
at 2 A. M. The baby should not be allowed to re- 
main more than ten or fifteen minutes at the 
breast and must never be allowed to sleep at 
the breast. It is impossible to overestimate the 
importance of regularity in feeding : if the baby 
is asleep at the regular nursing hour, it should 
be wakened and fed; by a little perseverance, 
the baby can easily be trained to awaken at the 
regular feeding hours and to sleep during the 
intervals. Usually one breast contains a suffic- 
ient quantity of milk for one feeding and, in 
order that each breast may have its full share 
of work, the breasts should be alternated in 
giving the feedings ; before and after each nurs- 
ing, the mother's nipples are to be bathed with 
a solution of boric acid (one teaspoonful of 
powdered boric acid to a cupful of warm wa- 
ter). 

Bottle Feedings. — Under certain conditions 
(see pages 55-56) it is necessary to feed the 
baby artificially, and great care must be used in 
selecting and preparing the food (see pages 
69-71). In giving bottle feedings to a baby, the 



GENERAL CARE 121 

same regularity in the feeding honrs should be 
insisted upon as in the case of nursing the baby 
(see page 69). 

Care of Nursing Bottles. — See page 76. 

Care of Rubber Nipples. — The proper nipples 
to be used in connection with bottle feedings 
are those made of hlacJc rubber and the tip 
should be small (Fig. 20). These can be pur- 
chased at druggists under the name of ^^Anti- 
Colic" nipples made by the Davol Eubber Com- 
pany. Another excellent form of nipple 
consists of pure gum and is known as the ^'In- 
gram'' nipple; when purchasing this nipple, the 
anti-colic shape should be selected. It is es- 
sential that the rubber nipples should be cared 
for properly each day (see page 77), otherwise 
the baby's mouth soon becomes diseased and 
severe gastro-intestinal disturbances result. 

Sleep. — The baby will sleep most of the 
twenty-four hours and should be aroused only 
for food. 

Waking for Food. — The common idea, ac- 
cepted by most mothers, that the baby needs 
sleep and that it will awaken when it is hungry, 



122 OUR BABY 

is entirely wrong. In order to keep the baby 
in a liealtby condition and to train its babits 
properly, it is necessary to waken the baby 
.punctually at every feeding hour. 

Ventilation of Nursery. — The nursery must 
be provided with a constant and ample supply 
of fresh air, and should also be aired thoroughly 
twice daily while the baby is taken into another 
room (see page 44). 

First Outing. — The baby may be taken out of 
doors at the end of the first week, if born in 
summer; and, if bom during the winter, the 
first outing should be delayed until the baby is 
one month old. The baby must not be taken 
out in freezing or blustery weather, and care 
must be exercised to prevent the sun, or bright 
light, from shining directly into the baby's eyes. 
For the hours and manner of taking the baby 
out see pages 96-97. 

How to Lift the Baby. — In lifting the baby, 
one hand is placed under the hips and the other 
hand under the neck and head, since the spine 
is weak and must be supported. The baby 
must never be lifted by grasping the sides of 



GENERAL CARE 123 

the body because, during early life, the stomach 
is practically vertical and any undue pressure 
on the abdomen or lower chest will cause the 
baby to regurgitate or vomit practically all its 
food; neither should the baby be lifted by the 
arms, since the shallow joint sockets permit 
dislocation. When the baby is old enough to 
run about (fifteen to eighteen months), it may 
be lifted by placing the hands under the arms; 
but it must never be lifted by the wrists. 

General Care. — The brain grows more rapidly 
during the first year than in all the later years 
of life, and the nervous system is unstable and 
very easily irritated; hence, the baby must be 
kept as quiet as possible, away from noise and 
in subdued light, and the number of visitors 
should be very few. The handling and bounc- 
ing, to which a baby is usually subjected during 
the early days of life, are harmful to it and 
should be eliminated. Under no circumstances 
should the baby be played with until it is six 
months old. 

Because of its unsanitary and unhealthy re- 
sults, the baby must not be kissed upon the 



124 OUR BABY 

mouth, even by relatives and friends. Chil- 
dren especially, since their close associations 
render them liable to infectious diseases and 
hence good carriers of contagion, should not be 
allowed to kiss a baby. Whatever kissing is 
indulged in by relatives should be upon the 
forehead of the baby. 

Indications That the Baby is Thriving. — If 
the baby is quiet and good-natured, has regular 
and normal bowel movements, and sleeps peace- 
fully during the feeding intervals, the baby 
may be considered to be in good health at this 
age, since the weight is a more or less useless 
guide during the first week. 

Indications of Poor Nutrition. — The baby has 
a poor color, is cross and fretful, and cries a 
great deal; the sleep is disturbed; the bowel 
movements contain lumps of undigested milk 
curds; and the baby may have frequent colic 
and may vomit freely. Poor nutrition may re- 
sult from irregularity in feeding, poor quality 
of food, deficient quantity of food, or from indi- 
gestion. 

Clothing. — The first article of clothing worn 



GENERAL CARE 125 

is the binder, which serves to protect the cord 
dressing, and it may he fastened with two small 
safety pins hut is better basted on. For the 
other articles of clothing see pages 24 to 32. 

DISORDERS OF THE EARLY WEEKS 

Indigestion. — Of all the disorders which 
affect the baby, the most common one is indi- 
gestion which, in almost every case, is produced 
by improper feeding. This improper feeding 
may be due to irregularity in the time of feed- 
ing, for many mothers are prone to nurse their 
baby every time it cries. Indigestion may also 
result from permitting the baby to remain 
too long a time at the breast, or allowing it to 
nurse too rapidly, or permitting it to take 
too large a quantity of food ; and, in the case of 
bottle-fed babies, from improper or too great a 
quantity of food given too frequently. The 
signs of indigestion in a baby are usually shown 
by restlessness, colic, frequent vomiting, and 
diarrhea with green stools containing undi- 
gested milk curds and mucus. 

At the onset of an acute attack of indigestion, 



126 OUR BABY 

a teaspoonful of castor oil may be given to the 
baby and the strength and quantity of the food 
reduced. In breast-fed babies, an ounce of cool 
boiled water may be given in a nursing bottle 
just prior to each breast feeding and the time 
at the breast shortened; in bottle-fed babies, 
the food may be diluted one-half with boiled 
water or barley water and the feeding intervals 
lengthened. A mild case of indigestion will 
usually clear up under this treatment in about 
twenty-four hours: if it persists longer than 
this, a physician must be consulted ; for indiges- 
tion occurring during the early weeks of life is 
often a very serious matter. 

Colic. — Practically every baby at some time 
or other suffers from colic which may be sus- 
pected if there is a sharp and sudden cry, asso- 
ciated with expulsion of gas from the rectum. 
During severe attacks, the baby cries violently, 
the face is flushed, the fists are clenched, the 
legs are drawn up, the abdomen is hard and dis- 
tended, and the feet and hands may be cold. 
Many of the so-called *^ colic cures'' are harm- 
ful, since they contain opiates, and they should 



GENERAL CARE 127 

not be used. The best treatment for colic con- 
sists in giving a rectal irrigation. 

How to Give a Rectal Irrigation. — Cover an 
ordinary kitchen table with a rubber sheet, and 
over this lay a pad; the baby, with socks and 
diaper removed, is now placed on its back on 
the pad. Or, the irrigation may be given with 
the baby on the mother's or nurse's lap which 
should be protected with a rubber sheet anji 
pad. A douche bag, or fountain syringe, is 
filled with a quart of warm water (temperature 
100° Fahrenheit) in which two teaspoonfuls of 
common table salt have been dissolved ; and the 
bag is hung, or held by an assistant, not more 
than three feet above the baby. A soft rubber 
catheter (No. 21 French scale) is connected to 
the rubber tubing of the douche bag by passing 
the open end of the catheter over the tip of the 
smallest size nozzle which is supplied with a 
fonntain syringe set, and which has been 
fastened into the end of the rubber tubing. The 
catheter is anointed with vaseline, the baby's 
thighs are separated, the catheter is inserted 
into the baby's rectum for a distance of three to 

10 



128 OUR BABY 

^ve inclies, and the water allowed to flow. 
When the lower bowel has become filled and 
distended with the water, the excess of water 
will flow out along the side of the catheter ; and, 
when the douche bag is nearly empty, the flow 
of water is shut off and the catheter with- 
drawn: the baby will then expel the remainder 
of the water from the bowel. 

A soda mint tablet dissolved in a tablespoon- 
ful of warm water may be given to the baby 
every half hour for a few doses during an at- 
tack of colic; and half a teaspoonful of cinna- 
mon water diluted with an equal quantity of 
lime water, may be given after each feeding. 
A spice plaster (made by mixing equal parts of 
ginger, cloves, cinnamon and allspice, and plac- 
ing the mixture between thin flannel or cheese 
cloth, which is then wet with hot whisky or 
brandy) applied to the abdomen will often af- 
ford much relief from the pain. Eecurring 
attacks of colic should be treated by a physi- 
cian. 

Vomiting.^ This should not be confounded 
with regurgitation, which is so common during 



GENERAL CARE 129 

infancy. During the act of vomiting, the milk 
is expelled with more or less force in the form 
of tough, yellow curds frequently mixed with 
mucus, and the vomited material has a sour 
odor. If the vomiting is repeated or per- 
sistent, or if it is associated with fever, consti- 
pation, or diarrhea, a physician should be sum- 
moned at once. 

The treatment consists in withholding all 
food for a period of six or eight hours ; during 
which time teaspoonful doses of cinnamon wa- 
ter and lime water, equal parts, may be given 
every hour. At the end of six or eight hours, 
small quantities (one or two ounces) of barley 
water or albumen water (see page 90) may be 
given at the regular feeding intervals. The re- 
turn to the regular diet should not be attempted 
before the end of twenty-four hours. 

Regurgitation. — This is the involuntary act 
of bringing up into the mouth small quantities 
of food, and usually occurs soon after the food 
has been taken. The regurgitated milk parti- 
cles are not tough or mixed with mucus, but 
are soft, and white in color. Kegurgitation 



ISO OUR BABY 

may be due to: (1) A too tight abdominal 
binder compressing tbe stomach and thereby 
decreasing its capacity; (2) too large a quan- 
tity of food; (3) too rich food; (4) food taken 
too rapidly; (5) food taken too frequently. 
Eegurgitation is frequently spoken of as the 
^ ^ spitting up " of milk. 

In case the baby is wearing a flannel ab- 
dominal binder, this should be removed and a 
knitted band (see page 26) substituted, unless 
the navel is still unhealed, in which case the 
flannel binder is to be continued, but it must be 
applied loosely. If the baby is breast-fed, the 
nursing intervals may be lengthened; the time 
at the breast shortened; the nursing inter- 
rupted every two or three minutes by removing 
the baby from the breast for about a minute, or 
a nipple shield may be used ; or an ounce of cool 
boiled water may be given in a nursing bottle 
before each nursing and the mother ^s diet re- 
duced. If the baby is bottle-fed, the feeding 
intervals may be increased; a smaller quantity 
of food given, and the food diluted with boiled 
water. 



GENERAL CARE 131 

Diarrhea. — This consists in more bowel 
movements per day than has been normal for 
the baby, together with an alteration in the 
normal consistency and color of the movements, 
which now may be green, greenish-yellow, 
brown, black, gray, or white; sonr smelling or 
offensive; semi-liquid or watery; and may con- 
tain undigested milk curds, mucus, or blood. 

Treatment should be started with a teaspoon-x 
ful of castor oil, and a rectal irrigation (see 
page 127) should always be given. If the baby 
is breast-fed, an ounce of barley water may be 
given in a nursing bottle before each breast 
feeding, and the time at the breast shortened; 
if the baby is bottle-fed, the food should be di- 
luted one-half with barley water. 

This condition always indicates faulty digest- 
ion and may be of serious import; and, if it 
persists more than one day, a competent physi- 
cian should always be consulted. 

Constipation. — Constipation in breast-fed 
babies usually follows constipation in the nurs- 
ing mother, or it may be due to a poor quality 
of milk, or to a scanty supply of milk. In hot- 



132 OUR BABY 

tie-fed babies, constipation usually means 
faulty composition of tbe food. 

If the baby is breast-fed, constipation in the 
mother should be corrected and the mother's 
diet regulated : ale, porter, stout, or malt added 
to the mother's diet will often increase the 
quality and quantity of breast milk; corn- 
meal mush included in the diet is often valuable 
for this purpose. An ounce of oatmeal water 
given to the baby in a nursing bottle before each 
breast feeding will aid in correcting the con- 
stipation, and one or two ounces of cool boiled 
water given in a nursing bottle three or four 
times daily between the breast feedings will 
help to prevent the condition. If the baby is 
bottle-fed, one or two ounces of cool boiled 
water between feedings and an ounce of oat- 
meal water in the regular bottle feedings will 
have a laxative effect. For the immediate re- 
lief of acute constipation, nothing equals a rec- 
tal irrigation (see page 127). Cases of per- 
sistent constipation should be taken to a 
competent physician. 

Rapid Nursing. — ^When the baby nurses too 



GENERAL CARE 133 

rapidly, colic and indigestion follow, and the 
baby regurgitates part of its food immediately 
after nursing. This may be corrected in 
breast-fed babies by limiting the time during 
which the baby is kept at the breast, or by in- 
terrupting the nursing at intervals of two or 
three minutes, or by using a nipple shield. In 
bottle-fed babies, rapid nursing may be over- 
come by using rubber nipples which contain 
smaller holes. 

Feeble Nursing. — This may result in breast- 
fed babies from the mother's breasts being too 
full ; again, it may be due to tongue-tie, or cleft- 
palate, or some other deformity of the baby's 
mouth. 

The treatment should be applied to the cause 
of the condition : if the breasts are too full, the 
milk must be expressed until the breasts are 
soft ; for the relief of the surgical conditions, a 
physician should be consulted. 

Difficult Nursing. — If the mother's nipples 
are too small, or too flat, so that the baby has 
difficulty in maintaining a hold on the nipple, 
the baby may refuse the breast. *' Snuffles/' 



134 OUR BABY 

or cold in the head, interferes with proper 
breathing; so that when the baby takes the nip- 
ple in its mouth, it will be unable to breathe and 
therefore may refuse to nurse. 

A nipple shield may aid the baby .in nursing 
from small, flat nipples. If the baby has 
*^ snuffles," a few drops of liquid albolene put 
into each nostril twice daily by means of a 
medicine dropper will afford much relief. 

Conditions Affecting Nutrition. — The follow- 
ing conditions will seriously interfere with 
proper nutrition of the baby : — 

1. Constipation in the mother. 

2. Allowing the baby to nurse while the 
mother is subjected to strong emotions. 

3. If the feedings are given at irregular in- 
tervals. 

4. If the baby is irritated, overheated, or 
chilled at, or previous to, the feeding hour. 

Thrush (Sprue). — This is a disease affect- 
ing the entire cavity of the mouth, which shows 
several patches of small white flakes on the 
gums, the tongue, and the inside of the cheeks. 
In breast-fed babies, this condition may be 



GENERAL CARE 135 

produced by lack of proper hygiene of the 
baby's mouth or of the mother's nipples; in 
bottle-fed babies, it may also be due to lack of 
proper hygiene of the mouth and, very fre- 
quently, it occurs from faulty care of the rub- 
ber nipples (see page 77). 

In addition to these preventive measures, the 
curative treatment consists in cleansing the 
baby's mouth (as described on page 2) before 
each feeding, using a solution of baking soda 
— one teaspoonful to a teacupful of warm wa- 
ter ; this solution may also be applied by means 
of a cotton swab, made by wrapping a small 
piece of absorbent cotton around the end of a 
meat skewer. 

Skin Eruptions. — Proper cleanliness and the 
application of talcum powder after bathing will 
prevent the reddening and irritation of the skin 
which constitutes chafing. If there is a distinct 
rash or eruption on the skin, a physician should 
be consulted; since the eruption of an infectious 
disease is sometimes difficult to distinguish 
from the harmless *^heat rash." 

With the exception of the acute infectious 



136 OUR BABY 

diseases, skin eruptions are usually due to some 
digestive disturbance; and a teaspoonful of 
castor oil will often clear up tlie condition. 

Tight Foreskin. — If the foreskin cannot be 
easily retracted, or if it is impossible to draw 
it back, the secretions — which under normal 
conditions are removed during the process of 
bathing — collect in large, cheesy lumps which 
irritate the parts and produce pain and rest- 
lessness in the baby. Such a condition is often 
responsible for the improper development of 
the baby, and produces nervous disorders and 
convulsions. Moreover, a tight foreskin may 
seriously interfere with the passage of urine. 
Circumcision is the proper procedure for the 
relief of this condition; and it should be per- 
formed during the second week of life, since 
the operation is more severe when the baby be- 
comes older. 

Enlarged Breasts. — The breasts of both male 
and female babies frequently become enlarged 
and distended, and secrete fluid during the 
early weeks of life. This condition is best 
treated by placing a piece of sterile gauze over 



GENERAL CARE 137 

each breast, and then applying a flannel binder 
around the baby's chest. If the condition per- 
sists, abscess formation may result and a phy- 
sician should be consulted regarding proper 
treatment. 

Milk-Crust. — On the scalp of young babies, 
there is frequently an excessive production of 
oily scales which, unless properly cared for, 
will accumulate in large yellow patches com- 
monly called ** milk-crust.'' Proper hygiene of 
the scalp (see page 3) will prevent this accu- 
mulation, and a little vaseline rubbed into the 
scalp will check the formation of the scales. 
If, however, a patch has already formed, the 
crusts should be softened by moistening a piece 
of gauze or flannel with olive oil and thoroughly 
rubbing the scalp with it; if the crusts are 
thick, the gauze may be saturated with the oil 
and held in place on the scalp by means of a 
bandage or cap which should be worn during 
the night. This process is to be repeated each 
day until the crusts are sufficiently softened to 
permit of their easy removal; then the scalp 
ought tO' be washed ^with warm water and 



138 OUR BABY 

castile soap, and tlie crusts carefully removed; 
after which some cold cream or vaseline is to 
be well rubbed into the scalp. If the crusts 
persist after this treatment, a physician should 
be consulted. 

ONE MONTH 

Bath. — Since at this age the navel has com- 
pletely healed, the baby may now be given a 
full tub bath — the details of which are described 
on pages 12 to 15. 

Clothing. — The only change to be made in 
the clothing between the first and fourth weeks 
is in the form of abdominal band used. After 
the navel has completely healed, the baby 
should wear a knitted abdominal band having 
shoulder straps (Fig. 1; see page 26). 

Training. — The regularity in feeding, which 
has been so strongly advised and emphasized 
because of its influence on health, has a decided 
educational value in that it teaches the baby 
self-control. The two most important factors 
in the formation of discipline so needful in 
later life are self-control and regularity. Will 
power is more rapidly developed in babies 



GENERAL CARE 139 

than is commonly supposed, for babies assoc- 
iate the things which influence their comfort 
with the actual feeling of comfort; hence, it is 
easier to train the baby during the early 
months. 

Hearing. — When the baby is one month old, 
it begins to notice sound and to distinguish 
voice sounds; previous to this age, the baby is 
incapable of differentiating sounds. 

SIX WEEKS 

Bowels. — The baby has now reached an age 
when it will be practical to train it to have 
bowel movements at regular intervals and at 
stated times. The method of carrying out this 
training is described on pages 103 to 105. 

Smiling. — At this age, the baby usually indi- 
cates the pleasure which it experiences by smil- 
ing. 

Sight. — Although, previous to this age, the 
baby may have been attracted by and followed 
sound ; nevertheless, there has usually not been 
any well defined attraction to special objects, 
which is now an accomplished fact. 



140 OUR BABY 

Change in Eyes. — The color of the eyes at 
this age usually changes — becoming either 
lighter or darker than the color which existed 
during the first weeks. 

TWO MONTHS 

Effect of Menstruation on Mother's Milk.— 

Although most women do not menstruate while 
they are nursing their babies, the menstrual 
periods frequently return about two months 
after the mother has given birth to a baby. 
The popular idea, accepted by so many women, 
that the return of the menstrual periods necess- 
itates taking the baby away from the breast, 
is only partially true. The breast milk may 
be so changed in composition by the return of 
the menstrual function that the milk may cause 
some disturbance of the gastro-intestinal tract 
in the baby. Such a condition, however, does 
not aiford an adequate excuse for weaning the 
baby, because the change in the milk rarely 
lasts more than three or four days — that is, 
while the mother is menstruating. The baby 
should be given one or two ounces of water just 



GENERAL CARE 141 

before placing it at the breast, in order to re- 
duce the amount of breast milk which the baby 
takes; and, after three or four days, the baby 
may be allowed to nurse as usual. When the 
menstrual period has subsided, if the milk still 
continues to cause disturbance in the baby, and 
if repeated chemical examinations of the breast 
milk indicate that the milk is unfit for the baby, 
then it may be advisable to feed the baby arti- 
ficially; but this should be done only on advice 
of a competent physician. 

Weight. — The greatest gain in weight is dur- 
ing this month, and the baby should have an 
average weekly gain of four to seven ounces. 

Perspiration. — Usually at this age, the sweat 
glands become active. However, if the baby 
perspires easily and frequently, especially 
about the head and neck, it usually indicates 
faulty nutrition. 

THREE MONTHS 

Nursing. — Under normal conditions, the feed- 
ing intervals should now be lengthened — the 
feedings being given every three hours, from 



142 OUR BABY 

6 A. M. to 9 p. M., and the night feeding at 2 
A. M. may be omitted. These same hours should 
be rigidly adhered to, whether the baby is 
breast-fed or bottle-fed. In the case of bottle- 
fed babies, a larger quantity of food will usually 
have to be given at this age (see page 71). 

Scurvy. — This is a condition which, while it 
may develop in breast-fed babies, commonly 
occurs in bottle-fed babies that are kept too 
long on food which is not suited to the bodily 
needs of a baby. The exclusive use of the pro- 
prietary Baby Foods is prone to produce this 
condition, but the largest number of cases oc- 
curs in the babies that are fed on condensed 
milk, or boiled cow's milk. Scurvy first mani- 
fests itself by the baby showing a desire to be 
left alone; the baby cries, when handled or 
lifted, during the process of changing the di- 
aper. The disease is characterized by pain in 
one or more of the joints of the long bones, with 
swelling of the involved part. The most 
marked change consists in the swelling of one 
of the thighs which the baby holds in a semi- 
flexed position; this swelling may suggest in- 



GENERAL CARE 143 

jury of some kind, for the baby cries whenever 
the swollen thigh is touched. Severe cases may 
resemble paralysis. The baby's gums bleed 
easily and dark blue, or black, spots appear 
about the joints. The best preventative for 
this condition is to feed the baby one teaspoon- 
ful of orange juice twice a day. 

Character of the Cry. — A sharp, paroxysmal 
cry beginning and stopping suddenly, espe- 
cially accompanied by the expulsion of gas 
from the rectum, distention of the abdomen, and 
drawing up of the knees, suggests colic. A low 
continued cry, of the nature of a whine, may in- 
dicate a faulty food supply; a continuous cry 
may be due to hunger or thirst, but the mere 
fact that the baby sucks its fingers or that the 
cry stops when the baby is fed, is no indication 
that the cry was caused by hunger. If a con- 
tinuous cry is accompanied by rubbing the head 
with the hand, it may indicate earache; a low 
continued cry occurring regularly an hour or so 
after feeding, may indicate intestinal indiges- 
tion. A sudden, loud, and violent cry often in- 
dicates temper; and a loud persistent cry, 
11 



144 OUR BABY 

stopping wlien the baby is lifted or handled, in- 
dicates a bad habit and improper training. If 
the cry is short and violent, it may indicate acute 
pain. If the baby cries when placed at the 
breast, it may be due to a scanty milk supply, 
short or flat nipples, or to a sore mouth. 

Tears. — At the age of three months, the tear 
glands usually become active. 

Drooling. — ^Many mothers are taught to be- 
lieve that this condition only occurs as the first 
sign of teething. While the process of teething 
is usually accompanied by drooling, neverthe- 
less, drooling in itself is not a sign of teething ; 
it very frequently is the first sign of inflamma- 
tion of the mouth, due to faulty hygiene. Ow- 
ing to the fact that the salivary glands become 
more active at this period of life, a large amount 
of saliva inevitably flows freely from the baby's 
mouth and is a normal condition. 

Hearing. — When the baby is three months 
old it can usually distinguish direction of sound. 

Clothing. — The baby has now reached an age 
when the dress and petticoat may be shortened 
(see page 35). 



GENERAL CARE 145 

Exercise. — Ample opportunity should now 
be given the baby to secure exercise. For this 
purpose, the baby should be undressed and 
placed, uncovered, in its crib, and allowed to 
kick and move its arms and roll about freely for 
an hour or two each day. 

FOUR MONTHS 

Head Held Erect. — The average baby when 
about four months old will be able to hold its 
head erect, unsupported. 

FIVE MONTHS 

Bath. — The temperature of the water may 
now be lowered gradually to 90°-95° Fahren- 
heit for winter, and 85^-90° Fahrenheit for 
summer. 

Feeding. — If the baby is bottle-fed, the 
amount of milk taken at each feeding will have 
to be increased at this time (see page 71), pro- 
vided the baby is in good health; if breast-fed, 
no change is made in the feeding intervals. 

Weight. — At the age of five months, a healthy 
baby will have doubled its birth weight; its 



146 OUH BABY 

average weekly gain should be about five ounces. 

Recognition of Faces. — The baby will now 
begin to show that it recognizes certain persons, 
and its pleasure with their presence may be 
indicated by smiling. 

Toys. — At this age, certain objects appeal 
strongly to the baby's taste and it will reach for 
the ones which it most desires. All toys should 
be smooth, unpainted, and washable, and large 
enough to prevent the baby from swallowing 
them. 

SIX MONTHS 

Food. — If the baby is breast-fed, the process 
of weaning may now be started, as described 
on pages 64 and 65. 

Playing. — The baby has now reached an age 
when playing with it may be beneficial. 

Sleep. — The baby now remains awake for a 
longer time during the day ; the total number of 
sleeping hours being about sixteen. 

Drooling. — If the flow of saliva from the 
baby's mouth increases at this age, and if the 
baby persistently bites hard on whatever ob- 



GENERAL CARE 147 

ject it places in its mouth, it is suggestive that 
a tooth will soon be cut. 

First Teeth. — The first teeth to come through 
are the two lower central teeth. The exact time 
of cutting the first teeth varies in different 
babies but, on an average, the first teeth may 
be expected at some time between the sixth and 
eighth months. 

Delayed Teething. — If the appearance of the 
first teeth is delayed until after the tenth month, 
it indicates faulty nutrition, or the presence of 
rickets. As a general rule, girls cut their teeth 
earlier than boys, and breast-fed babies usually 
cut their teeth earlier than those that are bottle- 
fed. 

Special Care While Teething. — The baby's 
mouth should be kept clean by gently wiping it 
out twice daily with a piece of gauze soaked in 
cold boric acid solution (in the manner de- 
scribed on page 2). The practice of rubbing 
the baby's gums with the finger, or a tooth 
brush handle, etc., is productive of harm. 
Honey and similar substances should not be 
placed in the baby's mouth at this time, since 



148 OUR BABY 

they tend to soften the gums and make them 
sore. 

During the teething period, a smaller amount 
of food is required and, if the baby is not in- 
clined to eat, food should not be forced upon it, 
otherwise indigestion will result. During this 
period, the baby is apt to be fretful and irrit- 
able and should, therefore, be kept free from all 
excitement. 

Illness Due to Teething. — There is a deeply- 
rooted belief, and one which is accepted by most 
mothers, that all sickness and ill conditions 
which may affect the baby during the teething 
period are to be attributed to the process of 
teething. There is absolutely no foundation for 
such an idea, since the process of cutting a 
tooth is a natural and physiological one and, in 
healthy babies, should occasion but little dis- 
turbance. Nearly all the symptoms which 
sometimes occur at this period are due to faulty 
nutrition and not to teething. 

Weight. — From now until the end of the first 
year of life, the average gain in weight is from 
two to five ounces weekly. 



GENERAL CARE 149 

Speech. — The baby is now usually able to 
make some vocal sounds. 



SEVEN MONTHS 

Food. — Under normal conditions, the feed- 
ing intervals may now be lengthened; the feed- 
ings being given every four hours from 6 a. m. 
to 10 p. M. The quantity of food will probably 
have to be increased at this time (see page 71), 
but the increase should be made slowly during 
the weaning period. 

Attempts at Sitting. — The baby will now try 
to sit upright unsupported, but this should not 
be encouraged by the parents, since the act of 
sitting unsupported too early is apt to produce 
injury and curvature of the spine. 

Attempts at Creeping. — The baby will gener- 
ally make some attempts at creeping between 
the seventh and eighth months, but the mother 
should remember that some babies never creep 
and make no marked attempts at getting about 
until they are ready to walk. 

Standing. — Most healthy babies are now 



150 OUR BABY 

able to stand upright in the mother's lap, if 
supported. 

Sight and Hearing. — The baby will now show 
signs of intelligent sight and hearing, being 
able to distinguish objects and to understand 
voice sounds. 

EIGHT MONTHS 

Sitting Alone. — During this month, the baby 
will usually insist upon sitting upright unsup- 
ported. The baby should, however, not be al- 
lowed to assume the upright position for long 
periods, otherwise its strength will be over- 
taxed. 

Hair. — After the baby has reached the age 
of eight months, the color of its hair begins to 
darken. 

Speech. — The baby can now imitate some 
sounds and may be able to speak certain syll- 
ables. 

Food. — The practice so frequently advocated 
of giving the baby, when eight months old, 
cereals, crackers, pieces of bread, and other 
starchy foods, including ^^ tastes" from the 



GENERAL CARE 151 

table, merely because the baby has teeth, must 
eventually be productive of much trouble with 
the baby's digestion. The baby's stomach is 
not strong enough, and the digestive juices are 
not powerful enough, to cope successfully with 
starchy foods until the baby is one year old; 
and, until that age, the baby should be kept on 
a milk diet exclusively. 

Weaning. — If the baby has been breast-fed, 
the process of weaning started at the sixth 
month should now be complete, so that the baby 
will now be fed entirely from the bottle. The 
quality of breast milk markedly deteriorates 
after the seventh month and, if the baby is kept 
exclusively on breast milk after it is eight 
months old, faulty nutrition and lack of de- 
velopment are very apt to occur. 

NINE MONTHS 

Teeth. — Usually about two months after the 
first teeth appear, the four central upper teeth 
are cut. 

Creeping. — The baby may now be able to 
creep quite rapidly on its hands and knees- 



152 OUR BABY 

Clothing. — A valuable addition to the cloth- 
ing, as soon as the baby begins creeping, is the 
creeping apron (page 37), which serves to pro- 
tect the baby's dress. Diaper drawers (page 
36) will permit the baby greater freedom; 
but under no circumstances should ^* stork 
pants" — made of rubber sheeting — be put on 
the baby, since they cause overheating and pro- 
duce chafing. 

Attempts at Standing. — Many babies at this 
age will make attempts to stand with support. 
The mother should, however, remember that the 
baby's legs are not yet in a condition to give it 
perfect support, since the bones are still quite 
soft ; and, if the baby is allowed too early to as- 
sume the upright position, bowlegs will inevit- 
ably result. Therefore, the baby must not be 
encouraged or forced to stand, for the baby it- 
self will insist upon standing early enough for 
its own good. 

Talking. — During this month the baby usu- 
ally tries to talk and actually does do some talk- 
ing. 

Drinking. — Many babies at this age can be 



GENERAL CARE 153 

taught to drink from a cup, and the mother 
ought to make a special effort to train the baby 
as early as possible to take its milk or water 
from a cup. 

TEN MONTHS 

Weaning from the Bottle.— The baby should 
now be taught to take most of its feedings from 
a cup so that, by the end of the year, the baby 
will have become accustomed to taking all its 
food from a cup. 

First Attempt to Walk. — If the baby can 
stand without assistance at this age, it may 
make some attempts to walk. However, some 
babies are backward and some are precocious 
and, if the baby has been a rapid creeper, its 
first attempts at walking may be delayed for a 
few months. 

Falls. — While the baby is making its first at- 
tempts at standing and walking, it will probably 
receive some falls and bumps. The mother 
should now begin to train the baby to have no 
fear by making light of the injury and avoiding 
excitement. Teach the baby to regard the fall 



154 OUR BABY 

as *^a little accident, '^ and assume that there is 
no real injury ; this is far better than to sympa- 
thize profusely with the baby. 

ELEVEN MONTHS 

Standing.— By this time the baby will be 
able to stand alone without any support, but the 
mother should not permit the baby to stand too 
long at a time, or too many times a day (see 
page 152). 

Walking. — The baby may now be able to 
walk with assistance, but under no conditions 
should a walking chair, go-cart, or other device 
be used to aid the baby in standing or walking. 
The only assistance which the baby should re- 
ceive is the support which may be given by 
placing the hands in the baby's armpits. Hold- 
ing the baby by the wrists is a dangerous 
practice. 

ONE YEAR 

Food. — The proper food for the second year 
of life and the method of its preparation and 
administration are subjects of which the ma- 
jority of mothers are sadly ignorant. At this 



GENERAL CARE 155 

period of life the great majority of babies are 
overfed; the food is carelessly given at im- 
proper intervals and is usually unsuitable to 
the baby^s needs. Milk should form the basis 
of the diet during the second year, and it must 
always be given from a cup. In the case of 
some babies, it may be advisable to give one 
bottle feeding at supper time until the fifteenth 
month. It is a grave mistake to allow a baby 
''tastes'' from the table (see page 84). A diet 
list, suitable for a baby from twelve to eighteen 
months of age, will be found on page 85. 

** Second Summer.*' — There is a widespread 
and untold dread, among mothers, of the so- 
called ''second summer"; this is due to the fact 
that illness is supposed to be more prevalent 
during the hot months if the baby is teething. 
There is no well founded reason for any such 
fear, since the second summer should be no 
more dangerous than any subsequent summer 
during early childhood, provided the baby is 
properly cared for and fed. 

Weight. — When the baby has reached the 
age of one year, it should weigh about twenty- 



156 OUR BABY 

one pounds — that is, approximately, three times 
the birth weight. During the second year, the 
gain in weight is less regular and it will be 
sufficient to record the baby's weight once every 
month. 

Teeth. — When the baby is a year old, it 
should have at least six teeth. Usually between 
the twelfth and the fifteenth months, the baby 
will cut more teeth — two lower lateral, and four 
front double teeth. Since the baby's nervous 
system is now growing stronger, the eruption 
of these teeth is less liable to make the baby 
cross or irritable. 

Talking. — The baby will now be able to join 
words together. Contrary to the usually ac- 
cepted opinion, early talking is not an indica- 
tion of unusual brightness. 

Walking. — Most babies will now be able to 
walk about without assistance. 

Shoes. — As soon as the baby commences to 
walk, shoes of soft kid with thin soles and with- 
out heels should be worn, in order to give sup- 
port to the baby's ankles. 

Clothing. — When the baby begins to walk 



GENERAL CARE 157 

about, provided it has good bowel control, the 
ordinary diaper may be dispensed with and 
diaper drawers (Fig. 6; page 36) put on. 

Sleep. — When the baby is one year old, the 
day naps may be shortened ; a two-hour nap in 
the morning and a one-hour nap in the after- 
noon being sufficient. 

Growth. — During the first year of life, the 
baby grows in height or length about seven 
inches — girls developing more rapidly than 
boys. 

FIFTEEN MONTHS 

Walking. — At this age, the baby will be able 
to walk or run alone and does so with much de- 
light. 

Delayed WalJcing. — This may be due to : (1) 
A large, heavy baby whose legs are unable 
to support and carry the heavy weight until 
a later age; (2) a fast creeper, for, by creep- 
ing, a baby can get almost anywhere and hence 
makes no effort to walk; or (3) occasionally 
it may be due to general weakness or pre- 
vious serious illness, or to some congenital de- 



158 OUR BABY 

formity. But no great anxiety sTiould be felt 
if the baby does not walk until the latter part of 
the second year. 

Food. — It is not advisable to permit a baby 
to take any of its food from a bottle after the 
age of fifteen months; for it is very difficult to 
break the * ^ bottle habit, ' ' and the constant suck- 
ing on the nipple favors the formation of * * ade- 
noids. ' * 

EIGHTEEN MONTHS 

Teeth. — Between the eighteenth and the 
twenty-fourth months of life, the two upper 
**eye teeth'' and the two lower ** stomach 
teeth'' come through. 

FontaneUe {''Soft Spot'').— At the age of 
eighteen months, the fontanelle or **soft spot" 
on the top of the head should be firmly closed. 
If it still remains open at this age, it indicates 
that the baby is poorly nourished or is suffer- 
ing from rickets. 

Food. — Additional articles of food may now 
be permitted, if the baby is in good health. A 
suitable diet list for use between the eighteenth 



GENERAL CARE 159 

and twenty-fourth months will .be found on 
page 87. 

Bath. — At this age, it will be found more 
convenient to give the baby its full tub bath in 
the late afternoon about one hour before supper 
time. Then, dressed in its night clothes and a 
warm wrapper and proper foot covering, and 
protected from drafts, the baby may be given 
its supper. Experience has shown that, by giv- 
ing the tub bath late in the day at this age, the 
baby will rest much more comfortably after its 
more or less strenuous day of walking or run- 
ning about. 

Sleep. — From the eighteenth month to the 
end of the second year, the afternoon nap may 
be omitted; and the total number of sleeping 
hours will be about fourteen, consisting of a 
twelve-hour night rest and a two-hour morning 
nap. 

Clothing. — As soon as the baby begins to 
walk and run about, the stockings should be held 
in place by stocking supporters attached to a 
separate waist (Fig. 8) to which the drawers 
and flannel skirt may be buttoned (see page 38). 

12 



160 OUR BABY 

TWO YEARS 

Teeth.— Between the twenty-second and the 
thirtieth months, the four back molars make 
their appearance. Thus, at the age of two or 
two and a half years, all of the first set of 
teeth should be through. The teeth must now 
be given proper care (see pages 2 and 3) ; for, 
if neglected, decay will set in early. 

Care of Teeth, — When the baby is two years 
old, it should be taught to use a tooth brush, 
and a good tooth powder or paste, twice daily. 
A competent dentist must now be visited in 
order to have the teeth carefully examined, and 
he ought to be consulted every six months in 
the future. 

Talking. — At this age, the baby will be able 
to join words together and thus make itself 
quite clearly understood. It will often name an 
object by the sound which the object makes: 
thus, a steam engine will be called a ^ ' choo-choo 
car"; and a dog will be called a ** bow-wow''; 
etc. 

Delay in Talking. — If the baby has made no 



GENERAL CARE 161 

eitort to talk by this time, there may be some 
mental deficiency; or the baby may be a deaf- 
mute, or simply unusually backward. In any 
event, the condition is a serious one and a phy- 
sician should be consulted. 

Hair. — The baby's hair should be kept cut 
short, for the sake of comfort as well as for 
hygienic reasons. Especially in the hot sum- 
mer months, short hair prevents profuse per- 
spiration about the head and enables the baby to 
sleep with a greater degree of comfort. More- 
over, when the hair is short, the scalp can be 
kept in a healthier condition. 

Bath. — It is advisable to continue giving the 
tub bath in the late afternoon (see page 159). 

Clothing. — When the baby has reached the 
age of two years, unless it is delicate or in poor 
h(jalth, the knitted abdominal band may be dis- 
pensed with. A loosely fitting, sleeveless waist 
(Fig. 8, page 38) may be conveniently worn over 
the shirt : attached to the bottom of the waist are 
tabs to which the stocking supporters may be 
fastened by safety pins ; the drawers and short 
flannel skirt are then buttoned to the band of 



162 OUR BABY 

the waist. Usually at the age of two years, it 
is customary to indicate the sex of the child 
by dress — boys wearing plaited dresses with a 
belt (Fig. 11, page 40) ; while girls continue to 
wear the usual baby dress (Fig. 12, page 41). 

Exercise. — The baby should now be given 
opportunity to secure an ample amount of out- 
door exercise. Even in the winter months, the 
baby ought to be taken out twice daily and al- 
lowed to run about and play for at least an hour 
at a time. 

Weight. — During the second year — that is, 
from the twelfth to the twenty-fourth months — 
the average healthy baby usually gains about 
seven pounds in weight. 

Growth. — The baby usually grows in height 
from three to five inches during the second year 
of life. 

Food. — The diet may now be increased; and 
a suitable diet list, for a baby of two to three 
years of age, will be found on page 88. 

THREE TO SIX YEARS 
Bath. — At the age of three or four years, the 
child may be given cool baths — that is, 70°-80° 



GENERAL CARE 163 

Fahrenheit — provided a good reaction follows, 
as indicated by a warmth and glow of the 
skin. 

Clothing". — During the third or fourth year, 
the child may be permitted to wear shoes with 
^'spring heels." At this age also boys are 
usually dressed in knickerbockers. 

Sleep. — From the third to the sixth year, the 
twelve-hour night rest ought to be adhered to, 
and the child should take a morning nap of at 
least an hour and a half. Waking the child 
from its sleep in the morning must never be 
practiced: all children should be allowed to 
awaken of their own accord. 

Training and Habits. — The training, which 
was begun at birth and carried out during in- 
fancy, must be rigidly enforced during early 
childhood. For details, see pages 102 to 112. 

Exercise and Amusements. — As the child 
grows older, it will require a greater amount 
of exercise : its amusements will necessarily be 
more varied; and outdoor life should be en- 
couraged. 

Growth. — During the third and each sue- 



164 OUR BABY 

cessive year, the cliild will grow on an average 
about two inches in height. 

Food. — When the child has reached the age 
of three years, its dietary may be enlarged still 
further; and a proper diet list, suitable for a 
child of three to six years of age, will be found 
on page 89. 



CHAPTER XII 

SIGNS OF ILLNESS 

Appetite. — Loss of appetite occurs in fevers 
and in stomach disorders. 

Breathing. — Opened mouth, or dilated nos- 
trils, during sleep always shows impaired res- 
piration. 

Color of Skin. — Flushed face may show fever, 
but the temperature taken by the rectal ther- 
mometer is the only reliable guide (see page 
177). Blue lips show a disturbed circulation. 

Cough. — This indicates some disturbance of 
the lungs and is only rarely due to teething. 
Such a thing as a *^ stomach cough'' is a myth. 

Cry. — The cry does not indicate illness nearly 
so often as most mothers think. It may be due 
to pain of indigestion, temper, hunger, fright, 
unsuitable clothing, severe heat or cold, ear- 
ache, etc. (See page 143.) 

Digestion. — Vomiting and '^spitting up,'' 

165 



166 OUR BABY 

soon after taking food, may be due to a tight 
abdominal binder, too much handling, too rich 
food, too much food, too frequent feeding; but 
it may also indicate dyspepsia or the onset of 
infectious diseases. 

Eruptions. — Skin eruptions may be of minor 
or of grave importance; therefore, a physician 
should always be consulted. 

Face. — Half-closed eyelids during sleep, or 
twitching eyelids, accompanied by rapid move- 
ment of the eyeballs, may indicate approaching 
illness. Contracted brow, or drawn upper lip, 
usually indicates pain. 

Gestures. — Eubbing the ear with the hand 
may indicate earache, or beginning ear dis- 
ease. Clenched fists, with the thumbs covered 
over by the fingers, frequently betoken convul- 
sions. 

Mouth. — White spots on the inside of the 
cheeks may indicate a serious infection. Fre- 
quent yawning may be a forerunner of malaria. 

Nose. — ^^ Snuffles,'' or running of the nose, 
may be due to obstruction, by adenoids, to the 
natural process of breathing; or it may be 



SIGNS OF ILLNESS 167 

caused by chilling of tlie body ; or it may be due 
to severe infectious disease. 

Sleep. — Eestlessness or tossing in the sleep 
may indicate disturbance of the nervous system. 
Sleeping with open mouth indicates the pres- 
ence of adenoids, or enlarged tonsils. Extreme 
drowsiness, on the other hand, often precedes 
the infectious fevers. 

Stools. — The bowel movements, or stools, 
may be increased in number; they may be 
watery or semi-liquid; they may contain un- 
digested food, mucus, or blood; they may be 
dark brown, black, green or gray; or they may 
be offensive. On the other hand, the stools 
may be scanty, very hard and infrequent. Any 
of these conditions shows a disturbance of 
health. 

Swallowing. — If the baby, soon after taking 
the nipple, drops it and cries, sore mouth may 
be indicated, or it may be due to ^* tongue- 
tie.'' 

Teeth. — Delayed cutting of the teeth indi- 
cates usually poor nutrition. 

Urine. — If the urine is very dark or off ens- 



168 OUR BABY 

ive, or if it stains the diaper, it shows an ab- 
normal condition. 

Walking. — See page 157. 

Weight. — Stationary weight, or loss of 
weight, means deranged nutrition. 



CHAPTER XIII 

EMERGENCIES 

Immediate Care of Sick Baby. — While wait- 
ing for tlie arrival of the physician, piace the 
baby in a darkened, well ventilated room, away 
from all noise; and only one person at a time 
should be in the room with the baby. If there 
is fever, a cool sponge bath may be given (see 
page 17). 

Do not force the baby to take food ; and, when 
nourishment is given, it should be reduced in 
strength by replacing part of the food with 
boiled water. If the baby is breast-fed, an 
ounce of boiled water may be given just before 
nursing. Do not use poultices, embrocations, 
or other external remedies unless so instructed 
by the physician. Finally, do not waken the 
baby for food or medicine, unless the physician 
so orders. 

The suggestions given below are merely pre- 

169 



170 OUR BABY 

liminary to medical attention^ and in all cases 
a physician should he summoned. 

Bruises. — Compresses wet with hot water or 
extract of witch-hazel constitute the best 
remedy. 

Burns. — The injured part should be pro- 
tected from the air by applying cloths wet with 
a saturated solution of baking soda, or carron- 
oil (lime water and linseed oil, equal parts). 
If the clothing should take fire, the baby must 
be quickly wrapped in a rug, blanket, or coat. 

Chills. — The baby should be placed in bed 
and hot water bottles applied to the extremi- 
ties. Small doses of hot water may be given at 
short intervals. 

Colic— See pages 126 to 128. 

Constipation. — If the baby is breast-fed, 
much can be accomplished by correcting any 
tendency to constipation in the mother, and by 
regulating her diet; an ounce of oatmeal water 
may be given to the baby in a nursing bottle be- 
fore each breast feeding, and one or two ounces 
of cool boiled water given three or four times 
daily in a nursing bottle between the breast 



EMERGENCIES 171 

feedings. If the baby is bottle-fed, the feeding 
mixture may be made with oatmeal water in- 
stead of boiled water; and cool boiled water — 
an amount equal to that of the regular feedings 
— ^may be given three or four times daily. 

All babies over three months old may be given 
one or two teaspoonfuls of orange juice every 
morning before the first feeding, or a teaspoon- 
ful of olive oil may be given daily. After the 
age of one year, babies may be given the pulp 
and juice of stewed prunes two or three morn- 
ings each week, and stewed fresh fruits will 
have a laxative effect. 

The baby should be trained early to exercise 
control over the bowel movements (see page 
103) ; and, at a certain fixed hour, generally 
after breakfast, the baby, as soon as it is old 
enough to sit up, may be placed on a nursery 
chair for five minutes. Regularity in this habit 
is an important factor in preventing constipa- 
tion. Much can be accomplished toward cor- 
recting the constipation by regulating the diet. 

A soap stick, two inches long and half an inch 
thick, cut from a bar of castile soap and shaped 



172 OUR BABY 

into a cone, may be used at times for the relief 
of constipation; but in cases of acute constipa- 
tion, a rectal irrigation (see page 127) will af- 
ford quick relief. 

Convulsions. — The baby may be placed in a 
hot mustard bath (see page 20) for ^ve or ten 
minutes, during which time constant friction 
should be applied to the entire skin surface, and 
cold applied to the head. In the meantime, 
preparations should be made for giving a rectal 
irrigation (see page 127) which will usually re- 
lieve the condition and quiet the child. 

Contagious Diseases. — The baby should be 
isolated in a well ventilated room to which not 
more than one person in the family should have 
access. 

Croup. — This usually develops suddenly. 
The baby, after a few hours of quiet sleep, sud- 
denly awakens, gasps for breath and is attacked 
with a high pitched cough. The baby should be 
isolated, for the condition may be of the mem- 
branous, or diphtheritic variety; a hot com- 
press may be applied to the neck, and the air 
of the room made moist by steam vapor from a 



EMERGENCIES 173 

kettle. For the hot compress, a towel may be 
wrung out of hot water and applied to the neck 
and changed about every fifteen minutes. 

Cuts. — The wound should be cleansed with 
hot water, and a freshly laundered linen hand- 
kerchief held firmly and continuously against 
the bleeding part. 

Diarrhea. — Start the treatment with a tea- 
spoonful of castor oil, then give the baby a rec- 
tal irrigation (see page 127). Milk in any 
form, whether the baby is breast-fed or bottle- 
fed, should be diluted for twenty-four hours : an 
ounce of barley water may be given in a nurs- 
ing bottle to breast-fed babies before each 
breast feeding, and the time at the breast short- 
ened ; if the baby is bottle-fed, the food may be 
diluted one-half or three-quarters with barley 
water. In babies over a year old, and in young 
children, the food may be limited to broths, 
barley water, and farinaceous foods. If the 
symptoms have not abated at the end of twenty- 
four hours, a physician should always be con- 
sulted: if the condition has improved, boiled 
water may be substituted for the barley water 



174 OUR BABY 

and the regular feedings gradually resumed. 

When the first symptoms of diarrhea appear 
in a baby, the safest and wisest plan is to con- 
sult a physician ; for the mild types of diarrhea 
often prove fatal, and proper treatment given 
early will frequently prevent the development 
of a severe illness. 

Earache. — Dry heat will often give relief; 
this may be accomplished by heating a small 
bag of salt in the oven and applying it to the 
ear. (Care should be used not to burn the 
baby's skin). 

Fever. — The baby should be placed in bed 
with light clothing; an alcohol sponge bath (con- 
sisting of one part of alcohol to three parts of 
warm water) may be given, and the dietary re- 
duced. In the case of a baby, the milk should be 
diluted one-half with boiled water; in the case 
of a young child, the food should be limited to 
milk and broths — ^no solid food being given. 

Foreign Body in Ear. — The ear may be 
syringed with a warm salt solution (teaspoon- 
ful of salt to the pint of water). 

Foreign Body in Eye. — The eye may be irri- 



EMERGENCIES 175 

gated by using a piece of cotton dipped in warm 
saline solution (teaspoonful of salt to the pint 
of water), as described on page 1. 

Foreign Body in Nose. — Turn the baby up- 
side down and spank it to produce crying: the 
increased force with which the breath is driven 
through the nose may then expel the foreign 
body. 

Foreign Body in Throat. — The treatment is 
the same as that given above for foreign body 
in the nose. 

Fractures. — A broken bone may be easily 
recognized by the movable fragments. In lift- 
ing the baby, the fractured limb should be sup- 
ported carefully and placed in as comfortable 
a position as possible, until the arrival of the 
physician. If the skin has been broken, a large, 
freshly laundered handkerchief wrung out of 
warm salt solution (teaspoonful of salt to a pint 
of warm water) may be placed over the wound. 

Nose Bleeding. — Ice may be applied to the 
back of the neck, and the nostrils plugged with 
a piece of gauze or a soft handkerchief wet with 
ice water. If this is not effective, the nostrils 

13 



176 OUR BABY 

may be plugged with a piece of gauze saturated 
with diluted vinegar (one part of vinegar to 
three parts of water). 

Sprains. — A sprain should not be treated 
lightly, as it may prove almost as serious as a 
broken bone. The affected part should be 
placed at rest and compresses, wet with hot 
water or extract of witch-hazel, may be applied. 

Stings. — An effective and soothing applica- 
tion consists of a compress wet with cold witch- 
hazel, or boric acid solution (one teaspoonful 
of powdered boric acid to a cupful of warm 
water). 

Vomiting. — The stomach should be given 
absolute rest by withholding all food for a 
period of six or eight hours ; during which time, 
teaspoonful doses of cinnamon water and lime 
water, equal parts, may be given every hour. 
At the end of six or eight hours, small quanti- 
ties (one or two ounces) of barley water or al- 
bumen water (see page 90) may be given at the 
regular feeding intervals. No attempt should 
be made to resume the regular diet before the 
end of twenty-four hours, when the first few 



EMERGENCIES 177 

feedings may be given diluted with boiled water 
or barley water. 

In older children, a mustard plaster (consist- 
ing of one part of mustard to five parts of 
flour) may be applied to the pit of the stomach 
until the skin is red ; and, in resuming the regu- 
lar diet, broths (see page 91) may be given be- 
fore milk or solid food is attempted. 

How to Take the Temperature. — Every 
mother should thoroughly understand the use 
of a clinical thermometer and be acquainted 
with the normal temperature of her own baby. 
The thermometer should be shaken until the 
column of mercury registers 96° Fahrenheit; 
then the bulb of the thermometer is anointed 
with albolene or vaseline. The baby is placed 
on its back in the mother's lap with its legs 
raised and held by one hand of the mother : with 
her other hand, the mother holds the thermom- 
eter and gently inserts the bulb about two 
inches into the baby's rectum, or until the 
column of mercury cannot be seen. The ther- 
mometer should be held in the rectum for two 
minutes, then withdrawn and the temperature 



178 OUR BABY 

read. The normal rectal temperature of a baby 
varies from 98.5° Fahrenheit to 99.5° Fahren- 
heit. After use, the thermometer should be 
washed with cold water and placed in a boric 
acid solution, after which it should be placed in 
its case for safe keeping. 

Babies frequently will run a slight tempera- 
ture, lasting only an hour or two, from very 
little cause; and, because of this, the mother 
may become unduly excited without reason. 
Therefore, the thermometer should not be used 
to such an extent as to create the * thermometer 
habit '^ in the mother. 



CHAPTER XIV 

NURSEMAID 

Influence.— The selection of a nursemaid is 
a matter of great importance, for she exerts a 
considerable influence over both mother and 
child. While the mother is the natural guard- 
ian of the welfare of her child, she has so many 
domestic and social duties that she must fre- 
quently be away from the nursery. 

Age. — The nursemaid should be in the prime 
of life, between thirty and forty-five; so that 
she may be mature enough not to be frivolous, 
and young enough not to be easily fatigued. 

Health. — She ought to be strong physically, 
and not be subject to frequent illness — such as 
catarrh of the nose and throat — and she must 
be free from tuberculosis and syphilis. 

Pace. — Her face should wear a cheerful ex- 
pression and not be disfigured or deformed. 

Disposition. — Her disposition ought to be 

179 



180 OUR BABY 

happy, patient, good-natured and loving. She 
must be conscientious and absolutely truthful, 
otherwise the child will quickly lose both love 
and confidence in her and in others. In all her 
dealings with the child, the nursemaid should be 
gentle, both in speech and manner; for this 
makes the child tractable. 

Intelligence. — The nursemaid must have suf- 
ficient intelligence to be able to understand, 
remember, and carry out instructions given to 
her; and to do routine work without constant 
supervision. She should preferably possess 
a certain amount of experience in handling 
children. 

Cleanliness. — An essential qualification is 
that the nursemaid should be cleanly in her 
person and dress, and neat and methodical. 

These are the desirable qualifications of the 
nursemaid ; but, of course, it is practically im- 
possible to combine all of these virtues in one 
person. However, by keeping in mind the 
qualifications that a nursemaid should have, 
the mother can more intelligently select one 
who approaches the ideal. 



INDEX 



Abdominal band, 24, 113 

effect of tight, 22 

how long to wear, 27, 161 

knit, 26 

purpose of, 25 

when to dispense with, 25 
Air, 44, 45 

importance of fresh, 96 
Airing, 

indoors, 97, 98 

outdoors, 96 
Albumen water, 90 

how to make, 90 
Amusements, 163 
Appetite, 165 
Arctics, 41 

B 

Baby basket, 1 
*'Baby Foods," 82 
Baby, sick, 169 
Band, abdominal, 24, 113 
effect of tight, 22 



Band, how long to wear, 25, 
27, 161 

knit, 26 

purpose of, 25 
Bath. See also Bathing 

at age of one month, 138 

at age of five months, 
145 

at age of eighteen months, 
159 

at age of two years, 161 

at age of three years, 162 

bran, 19 

cold pack, 18 

cool, 12 

first, 8 

hot pack, 18 

kind of, 17 

mustard, 20 

preparation for, 7 

salt, 20 

shower, 17 

soda, 19 

sponge, 17 



181 



182 



INDEX 



Bath, starch, 19 

temperature of, 17 

time for, 12 

tub, 12, 138 

vapor, 18 
Bathing, in hot weather, 16 

local, 16 

of body, 11 

of buttocks, 16 

of face, 8 

of genitals, 4, 11, 16 

of scalp, 3 
Barley water, 91 

how to make, 91 

in diarrhea, 173 
Barrow coat, 30 
Basket, baby, 1, 47 
Bassinet, 47 
Beef juice, 87 

how to make, 91 
Bed, 46, 47 
Bed coverings, 47 
Body clothing, 28 
Books, 111, 112 
Bottle feeding, 68 

at age of one week, 120 

at age of seven months, 
149 

at age of eight months, 
150 

at age of one year, 
154 



Bottle feeding, at age of 

fifteen months, 158 
hours for, 71 
how to give, 74, 75 
kind of food in, 69 
preparation of food in, 

71 
quantity of food in, 70, 

71, 145 
regularity in, 69 
regurgitation in, 130 
successful, 76 
time consumed in, 75 
unsuccessful, 76 
vomiting after, 128, 165 
when to begin, 62 
when to give, 71 
Bottles, nursing, care of, 

76, 77 
Bowel function, training of, 

103, 104, 105 
Bowel movements, 116, 118, 

167. See also Stools 
average number of, 118, 

167 
character of, 167 
color of, 118, 119, 167 
consistency of, 119, 

167 
first, 116 
normal, 118, 119 
Breast binder, 66 
how to apply, 67 



INDEX 



183 



Breast binder, pattern for, 

66 
Breast feeding, 55. See also 

Nursing 
Breasts, care of, during 
nursing, 57, 58 
during weaning, 65 
enlarged, in babies, 136 
Breathing, 165 
Broth, 91 
Bruises, 170 
Bums, 170 

Buttocks, hygiene of, 4 
washing of, 4 



Care of baby: 
first day of life, 113 
first week of life, 116 

1 month old, 138 
6 weeks old, 139 

2 months old, 140 

3 months old, 141 

4 months old, 145 

5 months old, 145 

6 months old, 146 

7 months old, 149 

8 months old, 150 

9 months old, 151 

10 months old, 153 

11 months old, 154 



Care of baby: 

1 year old, 154 
15 months old, 157 
18 months old, 158 

2 years old, 160 

3 to 6 years old, 162 
Care of, breasts, 57, 65 

cord dressing, 113, 118 

diapers, 28 

eyes, 117 

mother's nipples, 57 

navel, 117 

newborn baby, 113 

nursing bottles, 76 

rubber nipples, 77, 121 

scalp, 3 

teeth, 2, 3, 160 
Childhood clothes, 60 
Chills, 170 
Circumcision, 12 
Cleaning of nursery, 48 
Cloak, 33 
Clothes : 

abdominal band, 26, 27, 
161 

abdominal binder, 22, 24, 
25 

arctics, 41 

cloak, 33 

creeping apron, 37 

diapers, 27 

diaper drawers, 36 

drawers, 38 



184 



INDEX 



Clothes : 
dress, 30 

flannel skirt, 29, 39 
Gertrude suit, 30, 31 
hood, 33 
leggings, 37, 41 
moccasins, 36 
nightgown, 32, 40 
petticoat, 29 
shirt, 28, 29 
shoes, 36, 40 
skirt, 29, 39 
socks, 28 
stockings, 36 
"stork pants,'^ 27, 152 
veil, 33 
waist, 38 
white skirt, 39 
Clothing, at age of one 

week, 124 
at age of one month, 138 
at age of three months, 

144 
at age of nine months, 

152 
at age of one year, 156 
at age of eighteen months, 

37, 159 
at age of two years, 161 
at age of three years, 163 
body, 28 

individual articles of, 24 
materials for, 23 



Clothing, necessary require- 
ments of, 21 
neglect of essentials in, 22 
night, 32, 40 
outdoor, 32, 33 
short, 35, 144 
Cold pack, 17 
Colic, 126 

symptoms of, 126 
treatment for, 127, 128 
Colon irrigation. See Rec- 
tal Irrigation 
Condensed milk, 81 
Constipation, 131 
causes of, 131, 132 
treatment for, 132, 170, 
171 
Contagious diseases, 172 
Convulsions, 172 
Cord, care of, 113, 114, 

118 
Cord dressing, 8, 113 
Country in summer, 98 
Cough, 165 
Crackers, 86 
Creeping, 151 

attempts at, 149 
Creeping apron, 37, 152 
Crib, 46, 47 
Croup, 172 
Cry, 116, 165 

character of, 143 
Cuts, 173 



INDEX 



185 



D 



Delayed talking, 160 
Delayed teething, 147, 167 
Delayed walking, 157, 168 
Dentist, 3, 160 
Development, 113 
Diapers, 27, 157 
care of, 28 
how to put on, 34 
Diaper drawers, 36, 152, 

157 
Diarrhea, 131, 173 

character of stools in, 131 
color of stools in, 131 
definition of, 131 
treatment for, 131, 173 
Diet, after first year, 83 
during second summer, 

84 
during teething, 148 
from 12 to 18 months of 

age, 84 
from 18 to 24 months of 

age, 87 
from 2 to 3 years of age, 

88 
from 3 to 6 years of age, 

89 
of nursing mother, 57 
Diet lists, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 

90 
Difficult nursing, 133 



Difficult nursing, causes of, 
133 

treatment for, 134 
Digestion, disordered, 176 
Disorders of early weeks, 

125 
Drawers, 38, 159, 161 
Dress, 30 

boy's, 40, 162 

girl's, 40, 162 

white, 40 
Dressing the baby, 33, 34 
Drinking from cup, 152 
Drooling, 144 

as sign of teething, 146 

cause of, 144 
Dust in summer, 99 
Dyspepsia. See Indigestion 



E 



Earache, 174 

Ears, foreign body in, 174 

rubbing of, 166 

washing of, 11 
Emergencies, 169 
Eruptions, skin, 134, 166 
Eyelids, 166 

closed, 166 

twitching of, 166 
Eyes, care of, 117 

change m. color of, 140 

cleansing of, 9, 114 



186 



INDEX 



Eyes, foreign body in, 
174 
protected from light, 117 

Exercise, 100, 145, 162 
effect of, on health, 100 
how baby gets, 100, 145 



F 



Face, 166 

bathing the, 1 

hygiene of, 1 

washing the, 1, 8, 114 
Falls from early walking, 

153 
Fear, 109 
Feeble nursing, 133 

causes of, 133 

treatment for, 133 
Feeding, hours for, 71 

regularity of, 102 

training in, 102 
Feeding mixture, how to 

make, 72 
Fever, 174 

Finger nails. See Nails 
First bath, 8 

how to give, 9 

temperature of, 8 

treatment preliminary to, 
7 
First bowel movement, 116 
First day of life, 113 



First feeding, 114 
First outing, 96, 122 

age for, 96, 97, 122 

hours for, 96, 97, 122 
First sleep, 8, 114 
First week, care during, 116 
Fists, clenched, 166 
Flannel skirt, 39, 159, 161 
Flies, 48, 99 
Fontanelle, 158 
Food, 55, 102. See also 
Milk and Nursing 

at age of seven months, 
149 

at age of eight months, 
150 

at age of one year, 154 

at age of fifteen months, 
158 

at age of eighteen months, 
158 

at age of two years, 162 

at age of three years, 164 

during teething, 148 

formulas for, 90 

increase of, 71 

preparation of, 71 

proprietary, 82 

quantity of, 70 
Foreign body, in -ear, 174 

in eye, 174 

in nose, 175 

in throat, 175 



INDEX 



187 



Foreskin, tight, 136 

treatment for, 136 
Formulas, 90 

for albumen water, 90 

for barley water, 91 

for beef juice, 91 

for broths, 91 

for gruels, 91 

for oatmeal water, 92 
Fractures, 175 
Fresh air, 96 

importance of, 96 
Furnishing of nursery, 45, 
46 

G 

General care, 113 

Genitals, bathing of, 4, 11 
care of, 4, 11 

Gertrude suit, 30, 31 

Growth, 113, 157, 162 
during first year, 157 
during second year, 162 
from third to sixth year, 
163 

Gruels, 87 

how to make, 91 

Gymnasium, 112 

H 

Hair, 4, 150, 161 
care of, 4 



Hair, change in color of, 
150 

cutting the, 4, 161 

washing the, 3 
Head held erect, 145 
Hearing, 139, 144, 150 
Heating methods, 43 
Hood, 33 
Hot pack, 18 
Hotels in summer, 99 
How to dress baby, 33 
How to give bottle feeding, 

74, 75 
How to give first bath, 9 
How to give rectal irriga- 
tion, 127 
How to give tub bath, 13 
How to lift baby, 122 , 
How to nurse, 60 
Hygiene, 1 

of buttocks, 4 

of genitals, 4 

of hair, 4 

of mouth, 2 

of nails, 5 

of nursing mother, 56 

of scalp, 3 

of skin, 5 

of teeth, 2 



Illness, during teething, 148 
signs of, 165 



188 



INDEX 



Indigestion, 125, 165 

causes of, 125 

signs of, 125 

treatment for, 126 
Irrigation, rectal, how to 

give, 127 

K 

Knickerbockers, 163 
Kindergarten, 109, 110 
Kissing, 5, 123, 124 



Milk, pasteurization of, 80 
sterilization of, 79 
top, 72 

Milk crust, 137 
how to prevent, 137 
treatment for, 137 

Moccasins, 36 

Moral training, 106, 107 

Mosquitoes, 48, 99 

Mouth, cleansing the, 10 
hygiene of, 2 
washing the, 2 
white spots in, 166 



Leggings, 37, 41 

Lifting the baby, directions 

for, 122 
Lighting of nursery, 44 

methods of, 44 
Location of nursery, 42 

M 

Menstruation, effect of, on 

breast milk, 140 
Milk, 55, 87 

bottle, 98 

breast, 55 

can, 69 

condensed, 81 

cow's, 69 

farm, 98 

for traveling, 83 



N 

Nails, care of, 5 
Naps, 50, 157, 159, 163 

shortening of, 50 
Navel, care of, 117 
Newborn baby, care of, 

113 
Night clothes, 32, 40 
Night feeding, when to 

omit, 60 
Nightgown, 32, 40 
Night light, 44, 71 
Night terrors, 52 
Nipples, care of mother's, 
57 

care of rubber, 79, 121 

kind of rubber, 77 
Noise, 51, 108 



INDEX 



189 



Nose, 166 

bleeding of, 175 

foreign body in, 175 

running of, 166 
Nostrils, cleansing of, 10 
Nurse. See also Nursing 

how to, 60 

how long to, 60 

when to, 60 

when not to, 55 
Nursemaid, 179 

qualifications of, 179, 180 
Nursery, 42 

cleaning of, 48 

furnishing of, 45 

heating of, 43 

lighting of, 44 

location of, 42 

night light in, 44 

screens in, 48 

temperature of, 43 

ventilation of, 44 
Nursing. See also Nurse 

difficult, 133 

during first day, 114 

feeble, 133 

hours for, 60, 114, 119, 
120, 141 

hygiene of mother while, 

importance of early, 114 
purpose of early, 115 
rapid, 61, 132 



Nursing, regularity of, 58, 
120 

regurgitation after, 61 

successful, 62 

time allowed for, 120 

unsuccessful, 63 

vomiting after, 61 
Nursing bottles, care of, 76 
Nutrition, conditions affect- 
ing, 134 

indications of poor, 124 



Oatmeal water, 92 
Obedience, 107, 108 
Orange juice, 86 
Outdoor airing, 96 
Outdoor clothing, 32 
Outings, 96 

age for first, 96 

hours for first, 96 

importance of, 96 

summer, 98 

when to take, 96 

where to take, 97 
Opened mouth, 53, 165 



Pack, cold, 17 

hot, 18 
Pacifiers, 5, 103, 116 
Pasteurization, 80 



190 



INDEX 



Petticoat, 29 
Perspiration, 141 
Pinning blanket, 30 
Playing- with baby, 146 
Plaything's, 105 
• Poor nutrition, 124 
Proprietary foods, 82 
Prune pulp, 86 
Powders, 8, 113 
Punishment, 108 

R 
Rapid nursing, 132 

treatment for, 133 
Rash, skin, 135 
Recognition of faces, 146 
Rectal irrigation, how to 
give, 127 

in colic, 127 

in diarrhea, 131 
Regurgitation, 61, 129, 165 

causes of, 61, 129 

definition of, 129 

treatment of, 61, 129 
Rubber nipples, care of, 79, 
121 

kinds of, 77, 78 
Rubber overshoes, 41 
Rupture, 23, 25 

S 

Scalp, care of, 3 
washing the, 3 



School life, 109 

effect of, on eyes, 11 

hours of, 110 
Screens, 48 
Scurvy, 81, 82, 142 

causes of, 142 

prevention of, 143 

symptoms of, 142 
"Second summer," 155 
Selfishness, 108 
Shades, window, 46 
Shirt, 29 

Shoes, 36, 40, 156, 163 
Short clothes, 35 
Sick baby, care of, 169 
Sickness during teething, 

148 
Sight, 139, 150 
Signs of illness, 165 
Sitting alone, 150 

attempts at, 149 
Skin, care of, 5, 11, 15 

color of, 165 

eruptions of, 135, 166 
Skirt, flannel, 29, 39, 159, 
161 

white, 39 
Sleep, 50, 167 

amount of, during first 
day, 116 

amount of, during first 
week, 121 



INDEX 



191 



Sleep, amount of, at six 
months, 50, 146 
amount of, at one year, 

50, 157 
amount of, at eighteen 

months, 50, 159 
amount of, from 3 to 6 

years, 163 
disturbed, 52 
hours for, 50 
Sleeping', during day, 50 
outdoors, 54 
regularity of, 51 
through noise, 51, 52 
training in, 51, 102 
with mother, 42, 53 
with open mouth, 53, 
167 
Sleeping basket, 47 
Smiling, 139 
Snuffles, 166 
Speech, 149, 150 
Sprains, 176 
Sprue. See Thrush 
Standing, 154 

attempts at, 150, 152 
Sterilization, 79 
Stings, 176 

Stocking supporters, 36 
Stockings, 36 
Stools, 116, 118, 167 

average number of, 118, 
167 
14 



Stools, character of, 167 

color of, 118, 119 

consistency of, 119, 167 

first, 116 

in diarrhea, 131 

normal, 118, 119 
"Stork pants," 27, 152 
Society, 109 
Socks, 28 
Soft spot of head. See 

Fontanelle 
Soups, 87 

Summer outings, 9T 
Swallowing, 167 

T 

Talcum powder, 5, 8, 11, 

15, 113 
Talking, 106, 152, 156, 160 

delayed, 160, 161 
Tears, 144 
Temperature of nursery, 43 

effect of too high, 44 
Teeth, 147, 151, 156, 158, 
167 
care of, 2, 3, 160 
cutting the, 147, 151, 156, 

158, 167 
examined by dentist, 3, 

160 
first, 147 
number of, 156, 158, 160 



192 



INDEX 



Teething, 147, 151 

care during, 147, 148 

delayed, 147, 167 

food during, 148 

illness during, 148 
Temperature, rectal, 177 

how to take, 177 

normal, 178 
Terrors, night, 52 
Thriving, indications of, 124 
Throat, foreign body in, 

175 
Thrush, 134 

causes of, 135 

treatment for, 135 
Tooth brush, 2, 3, 160 
Top milk, 72 
Toys, 105, 146 
Training, 102, 138, 163 

moral, 106 

of bowel function, 103, 
139 

to drink from cup, 152 

to have no fear, 109 

to obey, 107 

to sleep, 102 

to take food, 102, 138 
Traveling, milk for, 83 
Truthfulness, 106 
Tub bath, 12, 138 

how to give, 13, 14, 15 

temperature of, 12 



Tub bath, when to give, 12 
when not to give, 15 

U 

Urine, 119 

color of, 119, 167 
retention of, 119 



Veil, 33 

Ventilation of nursery, 44, 

45 
Vomiting, 61, 128, 165, 176. 
See also Regurgita- 
tion 
causes of, 165 
definition of, 129 
treatment for, 129, 176 



W 

Waist, ideal, 38, 159, 161 
Waking for food, 121 
Walking, 154, 156, 157 

first attempts at, 153 

delayed, 157, 168 
Water, 57, 76, 87, 115 

how to give, 59 

quantity of, to give, 76 

when to give, 59, 76 



INDEX 



193 



Weaning, G4, 146, 151 
age for, 64 
care of breasts during, 

65, 66, 67, 68 
from the bottle, 153 
how to begin, 64, 65 
mother's diet during, 67 
when to begin, 63 

Weight, 93 

at age of one week, 118 
at age of five months, 145 
at age of one year, 155 
at birth, 93 

doubling of, 145 
average for various ages, 
95 



Weight, average weekly gain 
of, 93, 94, 148 
during second year, 162 
failure to gain in, 94 
gain in, 93 
greatest gain in, 141 
how to determine, 94 
loss of, 93, 168 
when to record, 94 

Window shades, 46 



Yawning, 166 



(1) 



JUL 24 1912 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



022 216 372 9 



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